Arizona Representative-elect to be sworn in Wednesday after seven-week delay

WASHINGTON

US House Speaker Mike Johnson will swear in Arizona Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva on Wednesday around 4 pm local time (2100GMT), the speaker’s office announced Tuesday.

Her swearing-in comes seven weeks after winning the seat left vacant by her late father, following Democratic pressure and a lawsuit from Arizona’s attorney general to compel Speaker Johnson to act.

Johnson defended the delay, saying Grijalva’s Sept. 23 election occurred while the House was out of session due to the government shutdown and that he would proceed once lawmakers returned to Washington.

In a video message on the US social media company X’s platform, Grijalva said she “almost can’t believe it’s true” after waiting seven weeks to be sworn in, adding that “one person can’t silence the voices of 813,000 people.”

She criticized what she called political games that delayed her seating and vowed to ensure “this can never happen again.”