Robert Garcia (California politician)

Robert Garcia
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 42nd district
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byKen Calvert (redistricted)
28th Mayor of Long Beach
In office
July 15, 2014 – December 20, 2022
Preceded byBob Foster
Succeeded byRex Richardson
Vice Mayor of Long Beach
In office
July 17, 2012 – July 15, 2014
Preceded bySuja Lowenthal
Succeeded bySuja Lowenthal
Member of the Long Beach City Council
from the 1st district
In office
May 5, 2009 – July 15, 2014
Preceded byBonnie Lowenthal
Succeeded byLena Gonzalez
Personal details
Born (1977-12-02) December 2, 1977 (age 46)
Lima, Peru
Political partyDemocratic (2007–present)
Other political
affiliations
Republican (before 2007)
Spouse
Matthew Mendez
(m. 2018)
EducationCalifornia State University, Long Beach (BA, EdD)
University of Southern California (MA)
Signature
WebsiteHouse website

Robert Julio Garcia (born December 2, 1977)[1] is a Peruvian American politician and educator serving as the U.S. representative for California's 42nd congressional district since 2023.[2] A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 28th mayor of Long Beach, California from 2014 to 2022.[3] He was both the city's youngest and first elected openly LGBT mayor, as well as the first Latino to hold the office.[4] He is the second person of color to be mayor of Long Beach, after Republican Eunice Sato, a Japanese-American who served from 1980 to 1982. A former member of the Long Beach City Council, he was vice mayor from 2012 to 2014.

Garcia was elected to the United States House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections. He is the first Peruvian-American to be elected to Congress, and was one of the leading figures in the expulsion of George Santos.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California, 42nd)". December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  2. ^ "Congressman-elect to be sworn in on the Constitution — and a Superman comic". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 6, 2023. Garcia, a Democrat from Long Beach, Calif., and a vocal comic book fan, was set to be sworn in Tuesday, but the ceremonies were postponed after House Republicans failed to elect a speaker.
  3. ^ "Dr. Robert Garcia is an educator and the 28th Mayor of Long Beach". Robert Garcia for Mayor 2018. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  4. ^ Forty Under 40, May 2010, retrieved January 29, 2012
  5. ^ "Robert Garcia set to become the first Peruvian in Congress". Daily Kos. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  6. ^ "Lawmakers move to force a vote this week on expelling Rep. George Santos from the House". AP News. November 28, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.