Adelita Grijalva is a lifelong public servant, advocate, and resident of Southern Arizona. She grew up with her two sisters on the south side of Tucson, graduating from Pueblo High School. She went on to earn a degree in Political Science from the University of Arizona.
Beyond her career in elected office, Adelita has had a long history of public service. Prior to being elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Adelita worked at Pima County Teen Court for more than 25 years, where she helped court-involved youth and their families through a restorative juvenile diversion program. A strong believer in the power of public-private partnerships to drive positive change, Adelita currently serves on the boards of several community organizations, where she continues to advocate for equity, collaboration, and opportunity.
Adelita was first elected to public office in 2002, when she was elected to the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Governing Board, the largest school-district in Tucson and the second-largest district in Arizona. There, she led the successful effort to significantly expand pre-school availability at TUSD schools, fiercely defended Mexican-American Studies and bilingual curriculum from attacks by the Arizona State Legislature, and advocated for investments in public schools in historically overlooked communities.
Most recently, Adelita Grijalva served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, representing District 5. She was first elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors in 2020, becoming the first Latina, and only the second woman, to serve as Chair. She was re-elected by the voters in 2024, earning more than 73% of the vote. During her time as a Pima County Supervisor, Adelita developed a reputation for bringing people together to address the biggest issues facing Southern Arizona including affordable housing, environmental protection and climate resiliency, and healthy and safe communities. Among her key accomplishments as a Supervisor were starting the county’s first free preschool program for low-income families, championing historic investments in affordable housing, and protecting open spaces to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the beautiful Sonoran Desert.
Adelita lives in Tucson with her husband Sol and is a proud mom of three children, Adelina, Raúl and Joaquín. She is the proud daughter of Congressman Raúl Grijalva.
MEET ADELITA GRIJALVA
Mom, Advocate, Public Servant
