Andrés Garcia

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Andrés Garcia

Libertarian Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

University of Maryland, College Park, 2014

Personal

Religion

None

Profession

Software consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Andrés Garcia (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Maryland's 8th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Garcia completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Andrés Garcia earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2014. His career experience includes working as a software consultant.

Elections

2022

See also: Maryland's 8th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin defeated Gregory Coll and Andrés Garcia in the general election for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jamie Raskin (D)	80.2	211,842
		Gregory Coll (R)	18.2	47,965
		Andrés Garcia (L)	1.6	4,125
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	274

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 264,206
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Incumbent Jamie Raskin defeated Andalib Odulate in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on July 19, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jamie Raskin	93.9	109,055
		Andalib Odulate	6.1	7,075

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 116,130
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8

Gregory Coll defeated Michael Yadeta in the Republican primary for U.S. House Maryland District 8 on July 19, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gregory Coll	83.6	11,445
		Michael Yadeta	16.4	2,245

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,690
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign themes

2022

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released Feb 26, 2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Andrés Garcia completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Garcia's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a lifelong Marylander, and a Libertarian who is fed up with partisan bickering and government overreach. It is abundantly clear that career politicians in DC only represent their party and self-interests. Their "team" has to beat the other "team" at all costs -- and the American people pay the price. They spend decades and trillions of tax dollars fighting over which side is better at controlling Americans'. I have had enough! With a dearth of candidates that represent my values, I decided to throw my hat into the ring.

I'm running for Congress not because I (think I) know what's best for your life. Rather, I'm running because I trust that my fellow Americans can live fulfilling, productive, and independent lives without constant government intervention. It's time we went to back to a Congress that works for the People, one that doesn't treat voters like walking piles of uncollected tax revenue. Every issue plaguing our society today eventually leads to overly cumbersome, ridiculously expensive, and woefully ineffective government regulation and oversight.

The Founding Fathers would be disgusted by today's Federal Government -- they wrote the Constitution specifically to prevent a giant centralized power. We've strayed away from the Constitution for over 100 years, and our country is teetering on collapse as a result.

Immediate change is possible if we change our voting habits. Stop voting the same way and expecting different results!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Fewer Taxes -- For Americans, for businesses, for *everyone*. Because taxpayers must stop footing the bill for Federal pet projects
• Less Spending -- Inflationary spending is on full display, it's the natural consequence of flooding the market with trillions of newly-printed dollars. Congress need fiscal responsibility!!
• More Freedom -- It's what sets the US apart from the world, and Federal oversight has whittled away at it for decades.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

1. National Debt -- There is no longevity in constant debt spending, and our country is financially unstable as our debt grows. We must reduce the debt by drastically cutting federal expenditures, and there is a plethora of cuts to make!

2. Taxation -- to couple with reduced federal expenditures, tax rates must be reduced across the board. The Federal Government has no business meddling with workers' paychecks, especially with such a terrible track record of producing effective and efficient solutions.

3. Election Integrity -- Representative Democracies only exist if their voting methods are secure and fair. Otherwise, it takes just a few bad actors to completely corrupt the system. Voter ID, banning universal mail-in voting, and paper ballots are all measures that make it more difficult to steal elections, and they should be adopted nationwide.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I have many idols, and here are a few:

My Parents -- Few better exemplify "achieving the American Dream" than my parents. They were both children when their families immigrated from Colombia to make better lives in the USA. They moved to Queens, NYC in the 1980s -- an infamously unsafe time in NYC's history. They finished high school and earned Bachelor's degrees before beginning distinguished careers in their respective fields. They bought a house, raised 3 beautiful children (I am a tad biased), and are still married after almost 35 years. Their achievements are a direct result of decades of hard work and never taking anything for granted. A wonderful recipe for success with which anyone of any makeup/background can replicate in the prosperous USA.

Dr. Thomas Sowell -- A brilliant economist, under the tutelage of the great Milton Friedman, who has written about the failures of the Progressive Movement for decades. Unlike too many of today's ideologues, he never made appeals to emotion nor did he rely on models, and certainly not personal attacks. He can precisely articulate Progressive stances/policies, then systematically reveal the inadequacies and inherent flaws with the ideology using layman critical thinking and real-world data. Through his and Friedman's work, I am now convinced that the Federal Reserve was a mistake and that nearly all federal assistance programs and Progressive social policies are built upon a (shaky) foundation of inaccurate assumptions and good intentions and almost always fail to produce results.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Liberty -- It is in peril, but every elected official should absolutely worship Liberty. They should be bound to the Constitution and leverage the Federal Govt to protect the People's Freedoms, not fight to take them away. I will never vote for more government regulation or overreach because Freedom is too important to be willingly eroded by bureaucrats.

Honesty -- Regardless of your opinion of President Trump, the man said exactly what was on his mind. While often controversial, it's a virtuous characteristic. Too many politicians happily lie for votes, win their election, then completely go back on their word once in office -- when it's often too late. When a politician lies, it's likely because s/he has ulterior motives that require the power of federal office; if constituents knew of their *true* motives, they'd vote for someone else!

Humility -- It's obvious when a politician arrogantly wants to control the lives of other Americans, because s/he believes their personal ideologies are the perfect solution for 330 million Americans. S/He sees "compromise" as conceding defeat, because doing so is "admitting" that the legislation was flawed. By contract, I am only running for office because I want LESS regulation and oversight. I have zero desire to make a career in politics, nor control the lives of regular Americans. Because what's best for my life will never be the best for everyone else's life. So instead of oversight, let Americans have the Freedom to live their Life exactly as they choose.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

My mind instantly went to 9/11 -- I was 5 days from turning 10-years-old in San Diego, CA on that fateful morning. At the time the towers were struck, I was still asleep and wouldn't know of the tragedy for several more hours. I was living with my mother, active duty in the Navy, and my little sister at the time. Because of my mom's work hours, I would often get ready for school on my own. By the time I sat at my desk and class started, the North Tower had already fallen and I was none the wiser.

Shortly after class began, my 5th grade teacher had us sit on the carpet as if to read us a story, as she often would. Instead of opening a book, she asks the class:

"Do you guys know that we were attacked today?"

I had no idea what she meant. Attacked? Like, by Martians? What does that mean? "We" like San Diego? California? Earth? But as she described the details of the hijackings and crashes, it became abundantly clear what happened. I immediately thought of an old neighbor in Maryland who once worked at the Pentagon. Did he still work there? Was he there when the plane struck? Is he dead? I sat there for what felt like hours pondering the most morbid thoughts that ever passed through my mind.

Ultimately, Confusion was my dominant reaction. I had zero knowledge of politics or foreign affairs, and therefore couldn't ruminate on the attack like more well-read adults. And even then I knew, in ways that I only now understand, that the world was never going to be the same.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was as a cashier at a national-chain drug company for 8 months. Sometimes, I'm surprised I even lasted that long! I was a freshman in University, and I hadn't yet internalized what my Father had told me constantly as a child: Stable employment opportunities are a privilege, and only hard work begets financial stability & independence.

I went in to the job thinking I was "better" than a cashier and my natural intelligence would immediately WOW my managers before quickly promoting me to a "higher-quality" position. Boy, did I have it backwards! My parents came from a country where jobs were difficult to find, especially ones with decent pay that weren't in a factory. I now better understand the blessing of working a job that pays on-time every two weeks with little interruption and no manual labor!

Since my first job, I have been humbled and reigned in my ego -- Congress is overflowing with egos as it is! If elected, I will work to reduce spending and cut tax rates so that every motivated American can work a private sector job with minimal federal assistance/dependence.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"All Animals are Equal, but some Animals are more Equal than Others."

I have had a fascinating journey George Orwell's Animal Farm. I first read it in 8th grade, and it was likely the only literature I read that was contrary to Progressivism in my entire public schooling. I loved the captivating story of suffering farm animals riding themselves of "oppressive" farmers, leading to worse suffering at the hands (hooves?) of selfish Pigs who promised utopia for all. My teacher spoke of the book's anti-Marxist nature, but the allegory was completely lost on me. It didn't help much, because I was once a Bernie supporter!

Now that I have comfortably settled on the political Right, I think the book should be required reading for every literate American. Because in many ways, today's Progressives/Socialists are the Pigs promising a wonderland to the American people, the other farm animals. They constantly message their good intentions, often to mask their authoritarian desires. Little do they realize that failed costly Progressive policies is causing America's monetary struggles, not the wealthy that they so frequently demonize.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My political ideology

I went to public school (K-12) in a very (VERY) Progressive district. I then graduated from a Progressive university, nearly an oxymoron. At the time, I never second-guessed my education nor my teachers/professors. Now that I have *finally* been exposed to opposing Conservative viewpoints -- reasonable, evidenced, and logical viewpoints -- I realize the deep-rooted political biases that misguided my education. So much so, that I vividly remember proclaiming that Socialism was the most effective economic system in high school. Because, as is customary with many Progressives, I was convinced of the *intentions* of Socialism -- a system that "guarantees" that everyone gets "enough" and no one gets "too much" -- whatever those buzzwords mean! My teachers then supplemented that unrealistic framework by glossing over the atrocities committed by centralized powers. All the while, Republicans and Conservatives were demonized as hateful and racist -- never actually addressing their arguments.

It took me years to see through the tactics, the reliance on logical fallacies in lieu of better arguments. I was never taught about the *outcomes* of Progressive policies, only the morality and good intentions behind them. Turns out, I had to "undo" much of what I accepted to be true which can be difficult, because introspection is often difficult. But after going through my political "rediscovery" I'm more confident than ever in my positions because I used to be an ardent supporter of what I now reject! I can speak on Progressive motivations as a former Progressive, rather than a Conservative who had read up on Progressives.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Inflation and Debt

$30 Trillion. An unfathomable dollar amount 200 years ago, today seemingly treated like a video game high score by politicians. A ticking time bomb. Societies cannot and do not thrive for perpetuity by carrying such unprecedented debt. And unfortunately, there are no signs of Congress slowing down. Rather, they're spending more than ever! Through its rampant spending, largely in the form of social safety net programs, the free market has been flooded with freshly minted dollars. In doing so, the value of each individual dollar is lessened. Less buying power = higher prices for the same goods. Hence inflation.

I am ready to vote NAY on any spending package that affects any program or agency NOT outlined in the Constitution, because the Administrative State built over the last 100 years is both wildly expensive and woefully ineffective. Remove the dead cost of government excess, and let the efficiency-dependent Free Market keep prices in check instead.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

In theory, if all eligible voters were well-studied on candidates' platform and tracked their voting records, then there would be no need for Congressional term limits. Attentive voters would "raise the alarm" on poor representation, and those representatives are promptly voted out of office. However, for a multitude of reasons, we do not live in that world.

As such, it is imperative that a Convention of States is called to amend the Constitution with term limits for both the House and Senate as a "fail safe" for uninformed voters. The Founding Fathers were keenly aware of the corrupting nature of prolonged legislative Power, though didn't unanimously agree on term limits. But as we've seen over the last 30 years, career politicians frequently (and perhaps quickly) lose touch with their constituents and become self-serving. As Ronald Reagan said, "Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction". So a single group of career, self-serving politicians can easily push society to the cliff's edge.

That danger must be eliminated with term limits!

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I would be ecstatic if, one day, I'm unironically referred to as the Latino Ron Paul :)

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

The *willingness* to compromise is absolutely essential for effective policymaking. If a politician has no willingness to compromise, especially with the "other side", then s/he is no longer fit for office because that means s/he has prioritized partisan bickering over serving the American people. There is far too much schoolyard pettiness from the geriatrics in DC, and the American people suffer as a result.

It's worth noting, for full transparency, that true "compromise" may not be possible for every legislative decision. However, that is NEVER justification to, as we often see in Congress, throw up you hands and say "I give up; I'll try to pass my legislation without them". That leads to nothing but further polarization and animosity. And again, the American people suffers as a result.

Instead, any stalemate in Congress should be left to the States to decide for themselves. No longer should the Federal Government serve as the arbiter of societal progress, an unconstitutional role it has assumed for over 100 years.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I will never sponsor, co-sponsor, or vote for any House bill to raise tax revenue.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Garcia's campaign website stated the following:

“	Platform Economy The federal government is too large and too intrusive on the efficiency-driven free market. Inflationary government spending leads to increased costs everywhere. We must reduce funding to wasteful government programs and replace it with widespread tax cuts. Roll back rigid, and often arbitrary, regulations that stymy innovation. Jobs Financial independence is the key to living the American Dream. The Federal Government employs almost 3 million people, whose salaries are funded by American tax dollars. Replace federal employment with lower business taxes and less red tape to better allow small businesses to thrive. Healthcare Educate, don’t mandate. Government mandates on private citizens are a direct violation of their Constitutional rights. What’s more, the Federal Government is notoriously poor at negotiating fair prices. More regulations will hamper the medical innovation that sets the US apart from the rest of the world. Climate Global climate is a complex system that changes over hundreds of thousands of years. While we should make efforts not to cause abject harm to the environment, the Federal Government cannot and should not be responsible for managing the climate. Certainly not through increased taxation and regulation! Immigration Great nations thrive with immigrants. However, illegal immigration should not be rewarded with amnesty and payments. Doing so further incentivizes the unsustainable and dangerous practice. It is also disrespectful to those in the arduous process of immigrating legally. We must secure the border to protect against human trafficking, drug smuggling, and dangerous persons. Election Integrity As the country adopts new voting procedures, audits that validate the efficacy of the current system should become standard. Every local and federal election should be audited, and voter rolls should be regularly vetted. The Power of the Vote is precious and should be protected at all costs.	”
—Andrés Garcia's campaign website (2022)

See also

2022 Elections

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Candidate

U.S. House Maryland District 8

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Footnotes

[show]

Maryland's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Angela Alsobrooks (D)

Chris Hollen (D)

Representatives

District 1

Andrew Harris (R)

District 2

John Olszewski (D)

District 3

Sarah Elfreth (D)

District 4

Glenn Ivey (D)

District 5

Steny Hoyer (D)

District 6

April McClain-Delaney (D)

District 7

Kweisi Mfume (D)

District 8

Jamie Raskin (D)

Democratic Party (9)

Republican Party (1)