Democrat Wins Arizona Special Election, Secures Final Vote to Force Epstein Files Release

In a major development that’s set to shake up Capitol Hill, Democrat Adelita Grijalva will win the special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, defeating Republican Daniel Butierez by a wide margin, according to CNN. Her victory doesn’t just fill the seat left vacant by her late father, Rep. Raul Grijalva—it delivers the final, critical vote needed to force a showdown in Congress over the long-suppressed Jeffrey Epstein case files.

This isn’t just another special election. With Grijalva’s win, the House hits the magic number: 218. That’s the threshold required to force a vote on a discharge petition that would bypass House leadership and compel the release of the Epstein files—something GOP leaders have aggressively tried to block.

The petition, co-led by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, had been stuck at 217 signatures for weeks. That changed earlier this month when Virginia Democrat James Walkinshaw, fresh off his own special election victory, signed on as the 217th. Grijalva’s win locks it in.