Joe Garcia

Early life, education, and family

José Antonio Garcia, Jr. was born in Miami Beach, Florida to José Garcia, Sr. and his wife, Carmen. His parents fled Cuba after the Cuban Revolution occurred and Fidel Castro's Communist regime took power. Garcia graduated in 1982 from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, where he participated in the Close Up Washington civic education program. Garcia attended Miami-Dade Community College before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and public affairs from the University of Miami in 1987. While at university, Garcia was elected president of the student government. He earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 1991.

Early public sector career

Garcia served on the Florida Public Service Commission as chairman. While on the FPSC, he chaired the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and was second vice chair of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Garcia was later appointed to the Federal Communications Commission Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service and was a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Garcia served on the board of the Spanish American League Against Discrimination (SALAD) and on the board of directors of Regis House, a drug addiction treatment and prevention center for inner-city youth in Miami. He is a member of the board of directors of the Cuban American National Foundation, and a past president. He has served as director of the New Democrat Network Hispanic Strategy Center, and chairman of the Democratic Party of Miami-Dade County. In 2009, Garcia joined the Obama administration in a Senate-confirmed position as director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact for the Department of Energy. During his tenure at the Energy Department, Garcia was appointed by President Obama to the Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status.

2008

Garcia announced on February 7, 2008, his candidacy for the U.S. Congress in Florida's 25th congressional district. Garcia's campaign raised over $1.8 million but incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart defeated Garcia 53%-47%.

2010

In April 2010, Garcia announced his candidacy for the 25th district again, after U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart announced he would run for reelection in the 21st District being vacated by his brother, Lincoln Diaz-Balart. In his campaign announcement, Garcia stated he would focus on job creation, funding education and health care as his top priorities. Garcia defeated Luis Meurice in the Democratic primary, 76%-24%.

In the general election, Garcia faced State Representative David Rivera, Tea Party activist Roly Arrojo, and Florida Whig Party nominee Craig Porter. Rivera defeated Garcia, 52%-43%, or a 9.5-point margin.

2012

In 2012, Garcia announced he would seek a rematch against Rivera in what was now the 26th district. It is more divided between Republicans and Democrats than its predecessor, the 25th district. It had been pushed well to the east and south, losing its share of Collier County and picking up all of Monroe County, including the Keys. The race was widely expected to be much closer than in previous cycles, in part due to the new demographics, and due to numerous scandals surrounding Rivera. In addition to several state probes, Rivera was the target of a federal investigation into allegations he tried to sabotage the Democratic primary in the 26th by secretly funding an unknown candidate, Justin Lamar Sternad, in hopes of avoiding a rematch against García. Several vendors whom Sternad employed in his campaign told the Miami Herald that Rivera had funded Sternad's campaign. Sternad himself subsequently told the FBI that Rivera had funded his campaign. Sternad's campaign manager, Ana Alliegro, was a close friend of Rivera. According to Sternad she served as the go-between.

Garcia won the rematch, defeating Rivera 54%–43%. His election made him the first Cuban-American Democrat to represent South Florida in Congress.

In May 2013, Garcia's chief-of-staff and top political strategist went to jail after being implicated in a sophisticated scheme to manipulate the previous year’s primary elections by submitting hundreds of fraudulent absentee-ballot requests.

2014

García ran for re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He faced Republican nominee Carlos Curbelo in the general election on November 4, 2014. According to a Washington Post article in December 2012, Garcia was one of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in 2014. He was a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program, designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents heading into the 2014 election. Nonetheless, Garcia lost to the Republican nominee Carlos Curbelo.

2016

Garcia ran again to reclaim his seat but was defeated by Curbelo.

Committee assignments

Political positions

Garcia was sworn into his first two-year term on January 3, 2013. Despite the urging of several political and media organizations as well as prominent leaders, Garcia refused to disclose any of his stances for the 2012 Political Courage Test.

Abortion

Garcia supports abortion rights and has voted against legislation that would prohibit organizations that perform abortions from receiving federal funds.

Cuba

Garcia joined other Cuban lawmakers in submitting a letter to the State Department calling for Cuba to remain a designated state-sponsor of terrorism. And in a Sept. 19 letter, he joined with the other three Cuban-American House members by raising concerns over the regime's involvement in selling art at a Houston art fair.

Garcia endorses the political construct that the U.S. continue to allow Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba to visit family, and that other Americans to go there for "purposeful travel", such as educational tours and religious missions.

Garcia supported the application of a Havana-based research institute to get a license from the U.S. Treasury Department to test and market a diabetes treatment in the United States. Critics claim the license could weaken the embargo and could eventually lead to giving the Castro regime access to American markets without political reform.

Gay marriage

García supports same-sex marriage. He was one of 172 congresspeople who signed a memorandum sent to the Supreme Court to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

Health care

Garcia opposes repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

Privacy

Garcia voted against the Amash Amendment, which would have prohibited the collection of records by the National Security Agency under the Patriot Act.

Economy

Garcia voted for the Farm Bill, a $1 trillion bill expanding crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and creating new subsidies for rice and peanut growers, but which made cuts to the food stamp program by an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.

Energy

García supports developing renewable and alternative sources of energy. He opposes offshore drilling, and opposes any offshore energy production, hoping to develop energy industries on shore.

Immigration reform

Garcia is the chief sponsor in the House of Representatives of a comprehensive immigration reform plan which is similar to legislation that has passed the United States Senate. If enacted, the plan would create a pathway to legalized permanent residency for millions of undocumented aliens living and working in the United States.

Flood insurance

In January 2014, Garcia proposed legislation that would halt flood insurance rate hikes for five years. His efforts stem from previous legislation that once in place would hit 268,000 Floridians with rate increases of between 20 and 400 percent. The Miami Herald reported that the bill would apply to all "property owners covered by the National Florida Insurance Program, and provides the greatest relief to those hardest hit—including an estimated 47,000 in Miami-Dade County."

Absentee ballot scheme 2012

In February 2013, the Miami Herald began reporting about "high-tech" hackers who had managed to make fraudulent ballot requests for the August 2012 primary election. On July 7, 2012, the first of more than 2,500 absentee ballot requests began streaming in from voters who had not requested a ballot. The Miami Herald investigation into hundreds of fraudulent ballot requests prompted Prosecutors to reopen the case. It was discovered that the fake ballot requests originated from masked Internet Protocol addresses in Miami. The investigation would conclude that Congressman Garcia’s staff had been behind the hundreds of fraudulent absentee-ballot requests.

Of the three staff members involved, Jefferey Garcia (no relation), had served as campaign manager to the Congressman during his bid for the District 26 seat, and later as Congressman Garcia's Chief of Staff. Garcia was later implicated in the scheme. Congressman Garcia's Chief of Staff plead guilty, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail for orchestrating the fraudulent ballot scheme.

Funding a shill candidate 2010

On September 9, 2013, the Miami Herald reported the funding of a shill candidate during Garcia's 2010 campaign. His campaign reportedly secretly funded Roly Arrojo, a third party candidate, in an effort to siphon votes from the Republican candidate, David Rivera. Arrojo had spent thousands of dollars on mailers and a $10,440 qualifying fee without having ever filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. Vendors employed in the Arrojo campaign told the Miami Herald that Garcia had funded Arrojo's campaign and that they were cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation.

Personal life

García and his ex-wife, Aileen Ugalde (they divorced in 2012 after twenty years of marriage), have one child.