Arizona voters are set to play a pivotal role in a political test for House Speaker Mike Johnson.
A special election on Tuesday is likely to see the victory of Adelita Grijalva, a Democratic candidate, who plans to sign a bipartisan discharge petition to force the public disclosure of federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Grijalva, the daughter of the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, is favored to win the seat in a district that Trump lost by 22 points.
Grijalva’s potential victory would mark a significant development in the ongoing debate over Epstein’s case. The bipartisan discharge petition, spearheaded by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), aims to compel the release of all Justice Department records related to Epstein, with limited exceptions to protect victims’ privacy. Johnson and other GOP leaders have been working to suppress the issue, but the petition is approaching the required 218 signatures, signaling a possible breakthrough.
Johnson’s dilemma lies in whether to block the petition in the Rules Committee or let it proceed to the House floor. While he has expressed skepticism about the necessity of the measure, behind closed doors, he has been pressured to let the petition move forward. The potential for a floor vote has been acknowledged by multiple Republican leaders, including House Rules Chair Virginia Foxx, who has stated that her panel would not intervene in the discharge petition.
Meanwhile, Trump has dismissed the effort as a “Democrat hoax,” arguing that the Justice Department has already fulfilled its duty. However, several Republican women, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, and Lauren Boebert, have chosen to support the petition, framing it as a necessary step toward transparency and accountability. If the petition succeeds, the controversy may shift to the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune has so far resisted efforts to bring the issue to that chamber.
As the election approaches, tensions within the GOP and the broader political landscape are intensifying. The impending decision could shape not only the trajectory of the Epstein investigation but also the future of Johnson’s leadership and the party’s response to the mounting pressure for transparency.