Newly elected U.S. Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) announced Friday that she is now being asked to present official results from the special congressional election she won before MAGA-aligned House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will swear her in.
Grijalva noted that two weeks ago, newly-elected Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) was sworn in the day after winning his election — on the basis of unofficial vote count results which were not disputed.
Note: Grijalva’s election result is also not in dispute; she outperformed her Republican opponent by a roughly two-to-one margin. She told the Arizona Republic: “It is Johnson who can say, ‘yes, I accept that,’ or ‘no, I can’t.”
BREAKING: In a shocking moment, Speaker Johnson refuses to swear in newly-elected Democratic Rep. Grijalva, who is the decisive 218th vote to sign a discharge petition to release the Epstein files.
Why the delay, Mr. Speaker?pic.twitter.com/1CjGrfVesP
— Really American
(@ReallyAmerican1) September 26, 2025
“Now for me…apparently the rules have changed in two weeks, and we’re being asked for official results,” Grijalva said.
The Congresswoman-elect added: “So I’m sort of wondering why in two weeks the rules are so different. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’m number 218. I don’t know.”
While campaigning, Grijalva said that she would vote to sign a discharge petition — which requires 218 signatures — that compels a vote to force the DOJ and FBI to release the complete Epstein files.
Johnson, who has called the petition “superfluous,” previously announced an early summer recess for the House, reportedly to avoid a vote demanding release of the files. During the recess, President Trump called the Epstein case a Democratic hoax.
Below is a letter from fellow Democratic Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari urging Johnson to “seat @AdelitaForAZ without delay. With a Republican government shutdown and cuts to healthcare looming, the people of Southern Arizona deserve to have their voices be heard.”
I urge @SpeakerJohnson to seat @AdelitaForAZ without delay. With a Republican government shutdown and cuts to healthcare looming, the people of Southern Arizona deserve to have their voices be heard. pic.twitter.com/Isqa2nPSM6
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) September 25, 2025