Progressive Democrats wasted no time eulogizing the legacy of Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a progressive lion of the lower chamber who died on Thursday at the age of 77 after a battle with lung cancer.

Huddled at the Democrats’ annual retreat in Northern Virginia, the melancholy lawmakers remembered Grijalva not only as a fierce champion of the environment, immigrant rights and economic justice, but also as a mentor to like-minded lawmakers who viewed him as a hero and role model.

Grijalva, said Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), was “a real giant of the House and of the progressive movement … a champion of the environment and environmental justice … and he was a real mentor and friend to me.”

Casar, 35, said he knew Grijalva as a legendary........

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