In this powerful episode recorded during the government shutdown, Chuck Rocha welcomes Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva to discuss the unprecedented delay in her swearing-in. Despite winning her Arizona CD-7 special election 29 days prior, Speaker Johnson has refused to swear her in, leaving 812,000 constituents without representation.

Adelita shares the personal cost of running for office—resigning from her paid position, only to face obstruction after her victory. She reveals how constituent service offices have been shuttered, staff phones confiscated, and how she's literally locked out of functioning as a representative while federal workers in her district go unpaid.

The conversation explores the potential political motivations behind the delay, including her role as the crucial 218th vote needed for a bipartisan discharge petition to release the Epstein files. Adelita also discusses her campaign strategy, how she outperformed both Kamala Harris and her late father's margins in the heavily Latino border district, and the old-school door-to-door approach that won her the race.

From fancy beans to mariachi music, this episode introduces listeners to a fierce advocate following in her father Raúl Grijalva's footsteps while forging her own path in Congress—if they'll finally let her in.

Recorded October 22, 2025.

🎙️ Featuring: Congresswoman-Elect Adelita Grijalva (Arizona Congressional District 7

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