Raul Grijalva
Raúl Grijalva is a liberal U.S. Representative (D-Arizona), representing an exceptionally large district that incorporates much of the metropolitan area of Tucson, Arizona, as well as the rural and desert area that extends southward to the United States-Mexican border. He began his career as a community health organizer, was on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board (1974 to 1986) serving as chairman during his last three years on the board, and, before Congress, was elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
In the 111th Congress, he has introduced legislation dealing with watershed management, Native American affairs, and national resources. He has called for repeal of the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies. He was recently called by Roll Call, the self-styled "Newspaper of Capitol Hill", a "key player" in the health-care reform debate because of his role in reviving the public insurance option and the "Enforcer for House Progressives." The article described him as "an earthy, rumpled former social worker and community activist," who was able to take progressive positions "without alienating House leaders and centrist colleagues." [1]
District
Arizona's 7th Congressional District is the second largest Congressional district in Arizona. Out of the 435 Congressional districts, it is the 26th largest in land area, covering 22,872 square miles. This is a land area larger than seven individual states, and larger than Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawai’i, Connecticut and New Jersey combined. The southern boundary of District 7 coincides with 300 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. Only Texas’ 23rd district has a longer stretch of the southern border.
The urban center of District 7 contains the central, south and west sides of the city of Tucson.
Committees
Caucuses
- Co-Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Associate member, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus