The son of an immigrant, he represented a majority Hispanic district in Arizona for 12 terms but had lately been absent from Capitol Hill while being treated for cancer.

Longtime Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. passed away at 77 years old on Thursday after a battle with lung cancer. He was one of the longest-tenured members of Congress in the history of Arizona, serving for more than two decades.

Arizona Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva has died, according to his congressional office. He was 77. The congressman died Thursday morning due to complications from cancer treatments, the office said. In April 2024, Grijalva announced he had been diagnosed with cancer and begun treatment. The diagnosis, he said at the time, was “difficult to process.”