Arizona congressman Raul Grijalva dies from cancer complications at 77

March 13 (UPI) -- Arizona congressman Raul Grijalva, 77, has died from complications of his cancer treatment, his office announced Thursday. He battled cancer for more than a year.

Grijalva was first elected to Congress in 2002 and served in the House for more than 20 years. He was the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee during that period and served as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus from 2009 until 2019.

"He was steadfast in his commitment to produce lasting change through environmental policies -- as he would say, 'It's for the babies.' He led the Natural Resources Committee without fear of repercussion, but with an urgency of the consequences of inaction," his staff said in a statement announcing his death.

Grijalva's political and community service career started at the grassroots level as a community organizer in Tucson. He was chairman of the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board for six years before being elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where he served for over a decade.

Grijalva was considered a leader of the progressive wing of the Democratic party and someone who brought real-world experience to the halls of Congress from southern Arizona.

"From permanently protecting the Grand Canyon for future generations to strengthening the Affordable Care Act, his proudest moments in Congress have always been guided by community voices, "the statement from his office continued.

Grijalva was the second Congressional Democrat to die in office in less than two weeks. Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, died March 5 while serving his first term after attending President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress the previous night. The deaths could affect the balance of power in the House, where Republicans control 218 seats and Democrats 213.