Hundreds of Tucsonans gathered Sunday for a candlelit vigil honoring the late Congressman Raúl Grijalva. The southern Arizona Democrat and Tucson native died Thursday at 77 years old after a battle with lung cancer.
His daughter, Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, helped attendees light white handheld candles and told the crowd she wanted her father’s legacy to live on with them.
“You know my dad … really didn’t want us all crying, and praying rosaries over him, he really wanted us to do something,” she said from the podium. "So hope that we take all of this love and energy right now, hug each other, cry, because I think that's cathartic and important, but also think about what we can do in our own lives to continue the legacy, the huge legacy that my dad has left all of us."
Grijalva spent more than 20 years in office and championed issues spanning tribal resources and environmental justice, to immigration and mining reform, serving as chair of the U.S. House Resources Committee from 2018-2023.
Pascua Yaqui Vice Chairman Peter Yucupicio told the vigil Grijalva helped build upon tribal recognition efforts started by former Pascua Yaqui head Ancelmo Valencia.
“To get us to where we are recognized, that the Yaqui have been here in this part of the world for thousands of years. Ancelmo Valencia had David and Mo Udall, I simply had Raúl Grijalva,” Yucupicio said. “He has made a ton of difference, not only for humans, but for the animals, for the mountains that we treasure, for the skies that we breathe.”
Other speakers included Angela Valenzuela, with League of United Latin American Citizens' National Task Force on Higher Education, Dan Eckstrom, who served on the South Tucson City Council and alongside Grijalva on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, and Tohono O'odham Chairman Verlon Jose, among others.
Grijalva announced a lung cancer diagnosis last spring and later said he would not seek re-election in 2026.
Since his death, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero has said she would not seek to fill his seat. Adelita Grijalva, another Democratic frontrunner for the role, has said she would announce whether or not she plans to run after her father’s funeral services next week.
