House Natural Resources ranking member Raúl Grijalva will not seek reelection in 2026, teeing up a high-profile retirement for the Arizona progressive who has led the committee’s Democrats since 2015.
Grijalva, 76, told 13 News in Arizona that he plans to stay in the 2024 race before handing the reins to a younger candidate in 2026. The announcement follows a protracted cancer battle that has sidelined him from Washington for months. Grijalva has held his seat in Arizona’s 3rd District since 2003.
“I think 22 years is pretty good — that’s the retirement age,” Grijalva said. “It’s time for someone else, and it’s time for somebody younger.”
A spokesperson for Grijalva’s office confirmed he plans to continue leading Democrats on the Natural Resources Committee in 2025, should he be reelected. If Democrats win a majority in the upcoming elections, that would return Grijalva the committee’s gavel.
