Grijalva's wait to be sworn in is longest in more than a decade

Why it matters: Grijalva, a Democrat, has become a political football as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said she won't be sworn in until the House is back in session.

• Democrats say Johnson is ignoring House protocol and depriving southern Arizona voters of representation.

Catch up quick: Grijalva won the Sept. 23 election with nearly 70% of the vote. The results were certified Oct. 14.

• The House speaker can swear in new members during "pro forma" sessions when the House isn't in session, as Johnson did earlier this year with two Republicans.

Yes, but: Johnson has declined to do so with Grijalva, saying he'd instead wait until the House was back in session.

Between the lines: Democrats allege Johnson is delaying Grijalva's swearing in because she'd deliver the 218th signature on a petition to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which President Trump opposes.

The bottom line: Arizona's 7th Congressional District has been without representation since March, when U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, Adelita's father, died.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that Speaker Johnson recently said he would swear in Grijalva when the House was back in session.