Longtime Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva Has Died

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, first elected to represent Arizona in the House in 2002, died on Thursday, his office said in a statement.

The Democrat’s office said he died from complications from ongoing cancer treatments.

“From Tucson to Nogales and beyond, he worked tirelessly for transfromational improvements,” his office said.

Grijalva’s death comes just days after recently elected Texas Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died at 70.

Democrats had been worried about Grijalva’s health for months, following his cancer diagnosis early last year. He had been regularly absent from the Hill, but told Democrats he was eager to return to Congress — going as far as initially running to keep his position as the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee.

He dropped that bid last December. “I will continue to focus on improving my health, strengthening my mobility, and serving my district in what is likely to be a time of unprecedented challenge for our community,” he said.