Ileana Garcia
Ileana Garcia (Republican Party) is a member of the Florida State Senate, representing District 36. She assumed office on November 8, 2022. Her current term ends on November 3, 2026.
Garcia (Republican Party) is running for re-election to the Florida State Senate to represent District 36. She declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on August 18, 2026.
Biography
Ileana Garcia was born in Miami, Florida. Garcia graduated from Miami Senior High School in 1987. Her career experience includes working as the deputy press secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Public Affairs, a radio and TV broadcaster, and a programmer.[1]
Committee assignments
2025-2026
Garcia was assigned to the following committees:
- Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice, Chair
- Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee, Vice Chair
- Ethics and Elections Committee
- Criminal Justice Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
2023-2024
Garcia was assigned to the following committees:
- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee, Chair
- Ethics and Elections Committee
- Health Policy Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
2021-2022
Garcia was assigned to the following committees:
- Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee
- Commerce and Tourism Committee
- Community Affairs Committee, Vice Chair
- Ethics and Elections Committee
- Health Policy Committee
- Senate Rules Committee, Vice Chair
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2026
See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on August 18, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Florida State Senate District 36
Incumbent Ileana Garcia is running in the Republican primary for Florida State Senate District 36 on August 18, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Ileana Garcia | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Garcia received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
- Former President Donald Trump (R)
- Guardians of Liberty
2022
See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Florida State Senate District 36
Incumbent Ileana Garcia defeated Raquel Pacheco in the general election for Florida State Senate District 36 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ileana Garcia (R) | 59.0 | 75,773 |
 | Raquel Pacheco (D) | 41.0 | 52,600 | |
| Total votes: 128,373 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Raquel Pacheco advanced from the Democratic primary for Florida State Senate District 36.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Michael Grieco (D)
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Ileana Garcia advanced from the Republican primary for Florida State Senate District 36.
Campaign finance
2020
See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Florida State Senate District 37
Ileana Garcia defeated incumbent Jose Javier Rodriguez and Alex Rodriguez in the general election for Florida State Senate District 37 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ileana Garcia (R) | 48.5 | 104,630 |
 | Jose Javier Rodriguez (D) | 48.5 | 104,598 | |
 | Alex Rodriguez (No Party Affiliation) | 3.0 | 6,382 | |
| Total votes: 215,610 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Jose Javier Rodriguez advanced from the Democratic primary for Florida State Senate District 37.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Michael Hepburn (D)
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Ileana Garcia advanced from the Republican primary for Florida State Senate District 37.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Erik Fresen (R)
- Raquel Regalado (R)
Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ileana Garcia has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Ileana Garcia asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Ileana Garcia, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?
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You can ask Ileana Garcia to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing ileana@ileanagarcia.com.
2022
Ileana Garcia did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Ileana Garcia did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Florida State Legislature in 2025.
- Americans for Prosperity - Florida — Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.
- Associated Industries of Florida — Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.
- Club for Growth Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Florida Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Progress Florida and Florida Watch — Legislators are scored based on their votes on health care, the economy, public schools, affordable housing, clean energy and water, reproductive rights, the freedom to vote and more.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Florida State Legislature in 2024.
- Americans for Prosperity - Florida — Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.
- Associated Industries of Florida — Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.
- Club for Growth Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Florida Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Progress Florida and Florida Watch — Legislators are scored based on their votes on health care, the economy, public schools, affordable housing, clean energy and water, reproductive rights, the freedom to vote and more.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Florida State Legislature in 2023.
- Americans for Prosperity - Florida — Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.
- Associated Industries of Florida — Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.
- Florida Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Progress Florida and Florida Watch — Legislators are scored based on their votes on health care, the economy, public schools, affordable housing, clean energy and water, reproductive rights, the freedom to vote and more.
- The Institute for Legislative Analysis — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Florida State Legislature in 2022.
- Americans for Prosperity - Florida — Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.
- Associated Industries of Florida — Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.
- Florida Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Progress Florida and Florida Watch — Legislators are scored based on their votes on health care, the economy, public schools, affordable housing, clean energy and water, reproductive rights, the freedom to vote and more.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the Florida State Legislature in 2021.
- Americans for Prosperity - Florida — Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.
- Associated Industries of Florida — Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.
- Florida Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Progress Florida and Florida Watch — Legislators are scored based on their votes on health care, the economy, public schools, affordable housing, clean energy and water, reproductive rights, the freedom to vote and more.
- Sierra Club Florida Chapter — Legislators are scored on votes on environmental bills.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Florida State Senate District 36 |
Officeholder Florida State Senate District 36 |
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Manny Diaz Jr. (R) |
Florida State Senate District 36 2022-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Jose Javier Rodriguez (D) |
Florida State Senate District 37 2020-2022 |
Succeeded by Jason Pizzo |
