Preceded by Nate Bennett-Fleming Party Democratic Party | Political party Democratic | |
 | ||
Born May 24, 1969 (age 47) ( 1969-05-24 ) Alma mater George Washington University
American University Education George Washington University, American University Profiles | ||
Franklin Garcia (born May 24, 1969) is an American politician currently serving as the Shadow congressperson from the District of Columbia, a position he has held since January 2015. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Contents
Early life and career
Franklin Garcia attended the George Washington University (B.A. Finance) and American University (M.A. Financial Economics for Public Policy). Upon completing his education, Garcia began his political career by holding key positions in the campaigns of various political figures, including Hillary Clinton, former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Dominican President Leonel Fernandez and others.
Prior to becoming the District of Columbia's Shadow Representative, Garcia served as the President and founder of the D.C. Latino Caucus and is currently serving as the President of the DC Latino Leadership Council. As of January 22, 2016, Franklin Garcia announced plans to seek re-election.
Writing career
Garcia is a well known writer and has contributed to major publications such as Huffington Post and Examiner. Garcia also writes for the Metropolitan D.C. area local newspaper, El Ojo Latino.
DCiReporter
Garcia is the founder and producer of the DCTV show, DCiReporter. The show highlights important happenings around the D.C. area. The show has been praised for its hyper-local content, and was awarded the DCTV award for "News Show of the Year" in 2015. The show has also included tributes for local D.C. figures, such as former Mayor Marion Barry and civil rights activist Julian Bond.
D.C. statehood
Franklin Garcia is a member of the District of Columbia Congressional Delegation, along with Senators Michael D. Brown and Paul Strauss. Because D.C. is not considered a state, neither Garcia nor his Delegation counterparts have a voting seat on Congress. The mission of the Delegation is to achieve Statehood per the admission of the District of Columbia as the 51st state of the union. Garcia promotes the D.C. Statehood mission by public speaking, community outreach events, and also by regularly meeting with fellow U.S. Representatives on Capitol Hill to gain co-sponsorship for H.R. 317 (New Columbia Admissions Act.) Garcia informs the public on recent Statehood news through the show "D.C. Statehood Today" which airs on DCTV and also streams on YouTube.
Philanthropy
In addition to his work in Statehood, Franklin Garcia has been praised for his service to the community. Garcia is a member the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and has also collaborated with local service organizations, including Foundation Angie, an LGBT support group and organization, Carlos Rosario and Richard Wright Public Charter Schools, DC Immersion Program and more. In July 2015, Garcia announced plans for a protest against Donald Trump following Trump's comments on the Latino immigrant population in America. The protest was deemed successful and Garcia was praised for acting as a voice for the Latino community.
Garcia has also contributed to local organizations during the holidays, including the annual event "Tiempo De Dar" where hundreds of toys are given to children in the metropolitan D.C. area.