Arizona special House election could be a tipping point on releasing the Epstein files

(WASHINGTON) — Tuesday’s special election for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District will likely narrow Republicans’ slim majority in the House and deliver the decisive vote on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The heavily blue district will vote to replace the late Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who served 22 years in Congress before passing away at 77 in March from complications with cancer treatments.

His daughter, former Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, is favored to win against Republican Daniel Butierez, who lost to the elder Grijalva last year by nearly 27 percentage points.

Tuesday’s election will likely deliver the decisive signature to allow a vote on compelling the Department of Justice to release all records related to Jeffrey Epstein. The bipartisan discharge petition was put forth by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna.

After Democrat Rep. James Walkinshaw won his special election in Virginia earlier this month, the newly sworn-in congressman brought the discharge petition to 217 signatures, inching it closer to the required 218 needed to force a vote on the matter.

Both Grijalva and Butierez told the Arizona Daily Star last week that they would sign the petition if elected.

This election also has broader implications in the overall makeup of the House of Representatives. House Republicans currently have a narrow majority with 219 seats, while the Democrats hold 213.

Some Republican states are also following President Donald Trump’s call to pick up seats by redrawing their congressional maps to produce more GOP-friendly districts ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Grijalva seeks to continue her father’s legacy of environmental justice and public education, in addition to focusing on protecting Medicaid.

“I’m not running on my last name, it just is my last name,” she told ABC News ahead of the Democratic primary earlier this year. “So my dad left really big shoes to fill, but I stand on my own two feet in my more than two decades of public service to Arizona, and I’m proud to be supported by leaders and organizations that are leading the progressive movement.”

She was challenged in the crowded Democratic primary by 25-year-old progressive activist Deja Foxx, who would have been the first Gen-Z woman in Congress. Grijalva defeated Foxx by over 40 points. Butierez won the Republican primary with nearly 61% of the vote over two other candidates.

Butierez is a business owner who is focused on curbing illegal immigration and drug flow into the region. Speaking to KGUN about how he was once homeless, imprisoned, and addicted to drugs, Butierez believes these experiences allow him to understand his community’s needs and utilize a firsthand perspective to address these issues.

ABC News’ Lauren Peller, John Parkinson, Brittany Shepherd, and Rachael Dziaba contributed to this report.

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