On the day she resigned from the Pima County Board of Supervisors to follow in her father’s footsteps and run for Congress, Adelita Grijalva’s preschool teacher showed up to thank her.
During the call to audience session at the April 1 meeting seven people stood behind the microphone to tell her they had her back. Grijalva, the county administrator, and multiple audience members were brought to tears by the emotional transition, as a national spotlight turns to a long-serving local politician.
Grijalva, a Democrat, has served as a District 5 county supervisor since 2020, including two years as chair. She is now running for Congress to fill the seat left vacant by her late father, Raúl Grijalva, who represented Arizona’s Congressional District 7 since 2003.
In her letter Grijalva said that the decision came about “after much contemplation and soul searching.”
Citing “significant steps toward long-term strategic planning,” Grijalva wrote in her resignation letter, “I am confident that those gains will continue in my absence.”
At the April 1 Board of Supervisors meeting, her resignation was accepted unanimously.
The vacancy will be filled through a selection process run by the remaining supervisors, who will appoint a replacement by the April 15 supervisors meeting.
“To be a qualified supervisor you have to be present, you have to be willing to listen and willing to compromise,” Supervisor Matt Heinz, of District 2, told Arizona Luminaria.
Each of the supervisors took turns at the April 1 meeting praising Grijalva for her years of work on the board.
“I just wanted to say, thank you very much for the opportunity to serve with all of you,” Grijalva said in turn, before the supervisors voted on accepting her resignation. Beginning to cry, she added, “It’s such a privilege and a gift to talk to people about what is going on in our community.”
“Our responsibility is huge,” she added, addressing her fellow supervisors. “I hope you continue to put the people in this community top of mind.”
Rapid application process
Applicants who want to fill Grijalva’s seat must be 18, reside in the district, and be registered as a Democrat, among other technical requirements.
District 5 includes much of the west and southwest sides of Tucson, as well as a corridor along Speedway Boulevard and part of the Pascua Yaqui Nation.
Interested applicants must submit a letter of interest, their resume, a financial disclosure statement and conflict of interest forms. The clerk of the board will begin accepting the materials on April 2, with a deadline of April 7.
Information about the selection process will be posted on the Pima County homepage.
The board discussed the accelerated timeline of the process. Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy, of District 4 cautioned that there wasn’t enough time for potential applicants to submit their materials or for the board to conduct the review process.
Grijalva said her concern was that her seat would be left empty and her district would be unrepresented.
Supervisors said at the April 1 meeting they will request the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson to conduct a candidate forum for sometime during the week of April 7.
Whoever is appointed to the position will serve until Dec. 31, 2026. They would need to win a primary and general election that same year to serve until the end of 2028.
Chair Rex Scott, of District 1 shared with Arizona Luminaria a series of questions he asked applicants when the supervisors filled a previous vacancy — covering their knowledge of the district and its diverse communities, their understanding of county government and policies they believe the board should prioritize.
As Grijalva was leaving her last meeting as a county supervisor, she told Arizona Luminaria she hopes whoever takes her seat is “as active in the community as I have been.”
She said she has a few loose ends to tie up, including cleaning out her office, and then will hit the campaign trail as soon as Friday.
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