Robert Garcia (California)
2023 - Present
2027
2
Robert Garcia (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California's 42nd Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.
Garcia (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California's 42nd Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Biography
Robert Garcia was born in Lima, Peru, in 1977.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies from California State University at Long Beach in 2002, a master's degree in communication management from the University of Southern California in 2005, and an Ed.D. in higher education from California State University at Long Beach in 2010.[2] His career experience includes working as a professor of public policy and communications at the University of Southern California, California State University at Long Beach, and Long Beach City College.[3][4] Garcia served as mayor of Long Beach, California, from 2014 to 2022. Before becoming mayor, Garcia served on the Long Beach City Council from 2009 to 2014, serving as vice-mayor from 2012 to 2014.[3][5]
Committee assignments
U.S. House
2025-2026
Garcia was assigned to the following committees:[Source]
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee
- Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
- Committee on Homeland Security
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Aviation
- Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
- Highways and Transit
Elections
2026
See also: California's 42nd Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. House California District 42
Incumbent Robert Garcia is running in the general election for U.S. House California District 42 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Robert Garcia (D) | |
| ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2024
See also: California's 42nd Congressional District election, 2024
California's 42nd Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 top-two primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 42
Incumbent Robert Garcia defeated John Briscoe in the general election for U.S. House California District 42 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Garcia (D) | 68.1 | 159,153 |
 | John Briscoe (R) | 31.9 | 74,410 | |
| Total votes: 233,563 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 42
Incumbent Robert Garcia and John Briscoe defeated Nicole López and Joaquín Beltrán in the primary for U.S. House California District 42 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Garcia (D) | 52.1 | 49,891 |
| ✔ | | John Briscoe (R) | 31.9 | 30,599 |
 | Nicole López (D) | 9.1 | 8,758 | |
 | Joaquín Beltrán (D) | 6.8 | 6,532 | |
| Total votes: 95,780 | |||
| = 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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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Garcia in this election.
2022
U.S. House
See also: California's 42nd Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House California District 42
Robert Garcia defeated John Briscoe in the general election for U.S. House California District 42 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Garcia (D) | 68.4 | 99,217 |
| John Briscoe (R) | 31.6 | 45,903 | |
| Total votes: 145,120 | |||
| = 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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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 42
The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 42 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Garcia (D) | 46.7 | 43,406 |
| ✔ | | John Briscoe (R) | 26.1 | 24,319 |
 | Cristina Garcia (D) | 12.6 | 11,685 | |
 | Peter Mathews (D) | 3.7 | 3,415 | |
| Nicole López (D) | 3.4 | 3,164 | |
 | Julio Cesar Flores (G) | 2.7 | 2,491 | |
 | William Summerville (D) | 2.5 | 2,301 | |
| Joaquín Beltrán (D) | 2.4 | 2,254 | |
| Total votes: 93,035 | |||
| = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Angel Rios (Independent)
- Saul Castillo (D)
Mayor of Long Beach
Robert Garcia did not file to run for re-election.
2018
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Long Beach
Incumbent Robert Garcia won election outright against James Henry Conn in the primary for Mayor of Long Beach on April 10, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Robert Garcia (Nonpartisan) | 78.8 | 31,112 |
 | James Henry Conn (Nonpartisan) | 21.2 | 8,379 | |
| Total votes: 39,491 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2014
The city of Long Beach, California held mayoral elections on June 3, 2014. A primary election took place on April 8. Damon Dunn and Robert Garcia advanced past Bonnie Lowenthal, Doug Otto, Eric (Donald) Rock, Gerrie Schipske, Jana Shields, Mineo Gonzalez, Richard Camp, and Steven Mozena in the primary. Garcia defeated Dunn in the general election.[6][7][8]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Robert Garcia |
52% | 27,420 | |
| Nonpartisan | Damon Dunn | 48% | 25,275 | |
| Total Votes | 52,695 | |||
| Source: City of Long Beach | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Robert Garcia |
25.2% | 11,873 | |
| Nonpartisan | Damon Dunn |
22.6% | 10,637 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bonnie Lowenthal | 19.6% | 9,227 | |
| Nonpartisan | Doug Otto | 13.5% | 6,363 | |
| Nonpartisan | Eric (Donald) Rock | 0.4% | 205 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gerrie Schipske | 15.3% | 7,192 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jana Shields | 2.2% | 1,017 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mineo Gonzalez | 0.4% | 185 | |
| Nonpartisan | Richard Camp | 0.2% | 107 | |
| Nonpartisan | Steven Mozena | 0.5% | 230 | |
| Total Votes | 47,036 | |||
| Source: City of Long Beach | ||||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2024
Robert Garcia did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Robert Garcia did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Garcia's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Preparing for Future Pandemics and Emergencies: Long Beach was hailed as a national model by President Biden during the covid pandemic. We were the first city in California to vaccinate 99% of seniors and our teachers. I made sure we focused on the science and led efforts to ensure low income communities had access to tests and vaccines. But the world should not have been in this position in the first place. America must be the world’s leader in pandemic prevention and biosafety and biosecurity planning. We need more funding for pandemic prevention, preparation and response — as well as strong regulations to ensure research is done safely. Dangerous pathogen research – especially dual use research – must be properly regulated in order to ensure technological advances don’t become weapons for nefarious actors. Defend our Democracy: The most important issue facing Congress today is to defend our democracy against attacks from the extreme far-right. I support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. Real Opportunity for Everyone – Not Just the Wealthy: In 2016, I proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, ahead of our state. During the pandemic, Long Beach also became the first city in California to provide an extra $4 an hour of Hero Pay to grocery workers. We faced fierce resistance from big corporations and stood our ground, winning relief for frontline workers. That’s why I’ll fight for a nationwide $15 minimum wage, reform overtime rules, public banks, expand paid family leave, and boost programs that help working families like the earned income tax credit. Strengthening the Social Safety Net: In 2021 we also passed a guaranteed income pilot program, providing 500 single parents living in poverty and struggling to meet basic needs with $500 a month. In Congress, I will fight to protect and expand eligibility and benefits for Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare. Every parent should be able to afford child care, and I believe every parent should be able to send their kids to a quality pre-k provider. I’ll fight for universal child care and pre-k in Congress. Defending Immigrant Families & Fighting for More Paths to Citizenship. I worked to establish the Justice Fund in Long Beach to provide legal support for families facing deportation. Long Beach also became a Sanctuary City under our leadership and has provided sanctuary protections for undocumented residents. In Congress, I will fight hard to expand pathways to citizenship for undocumented residents and fight to end legal discrimination against undocumented residents. Medicare for All: I believe the best approach to fixing our healthcare system is passing Medicare for All. I am a longtime supporter of Medicare for All and serve as the co-chair of Mayors 4 Medicare. I pushed for the City of Long Beach to be on the record supporting Medicare for All. Healthcare is a human right and your coverage shouldn’t depend on your employment. Protect Our Civil Rights: I’ve worked to adopt progressive policies that address racism within government and our institutions. We launched an office of equity, have worked to diversify our leadership and commissions, and have integrated programs like My Brothers Keeper across the city. I strongly support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and I will fight to modernize and expand our anti-discrimination laws. Create New Jobs While Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels: I strongly support the Green New Deal. During my time as mayor, Long Beach has worked locally to invest in green jobs and lower emissions drastically, ahead of state standards. We have lauded a citywide youth climate corps, electrified our buses and fleet, and expanded multimodal bike and transit. I have also signed the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. Cancel Student Debt & Make College Cost Free: In Long Beach, we launched the Long Beach College Promise giving thousands of students two years of free tuition at Long Beach Community College. In Congress, I will fight to cancel student debt across America and fight for no-cost college for all our students. Housing is a Human Right: We must expand affordable and accessible housing across the United States and work to build quality public housing. We need to ensure that people who are unhoused have access to shelter, services, and permanent supportive housing. Congress has an opportunity to fund significant housing development across American cities, especially along public transit and urban job centers. Help Small Business Recover & Thrive: At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Long Beach passed a historic economic relief package that ensured workers had access to paid sick time, retention laws, and small business had access to loans and grants. As we exit the pandemic, I’ll fight to ensure small businesses can thrive. Strengthen Federal Protections for LGBTQ+ Americans: As mayor, I helped strengthen protections for the LGBTQ+ community by establishing trans-inclusive health care coverage in the city, increased access to STD checks and treatments, and facilitated a more welcoming community citywide. Long Beach has received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign for inclusive cities every year I served as Mayor. I’ll fight for those same rights in Congress. Make it Easier to Form a Union: Throughout our history, union jobs have been escalators to the middle-class. I’ll fight for changes that level the playing field between employees and employers and make it easier to join and form a union. I’ve always supported the rights of workers to organize and I’ll fight to adopt the Pro Act in Congress. End Citizens United: I strongly believe in ending Citizens United. I am refusing corporate PAC checks in my campaign.”[9] |
” |
| —Robert Garcia's campaign website (2022)[10] | ||
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.
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Personal finance disclosures
Members of the House are required to file financial disclosure reports. You can search disclosure reports on the House’s official website here.
Analysis
Below are links to scores and rankings Ballotpedia compiled for members of Congress. We chose analyses that help readers understand how each individual legislator fit into the context of the chamber as a whole in terms of ideology, bill advancement, bipartisanship, and more.
If you would like to suggest an analysis for inclusion in this section, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.
119th Congress (2025-2027)
118th Congress (2023-2025)
Key votes
- See also: Key votes
Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.
Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025
The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, and ended on January 3, 2025. At the start of the session, Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.
| Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote | Bill and description | Status | ||||||
 Nay |
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 Passed (310-118)[12]
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| Nay |
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Passed (227-201)[14]
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| Nay |
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Passed (217-215)[16]
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| Nay |
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Passed (328-86)[18]
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| Nay |
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Passed (225-204)[20]
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| Nay |
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Passed (219-200)[22]
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| Nay |
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Passed (229-197)[24]
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| Yea |
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Passed (314-117)[26]
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| Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) |
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Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) (216-212) | ||||||
| Yea |
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Passed (216-210)[29]
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| Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) |
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Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (220-209) | ||||||
| Nay |
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Passed (221-212)[32]
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| Yea |
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Passed (311-114)[34]
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| Yea |
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Passed (327-75)[36]
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| Nay |
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Passed (219-213)[38]
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| Nay |
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Passed (219-211)[40]
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| Yea |
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Passed (357-70)[42]
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| Nay |
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Passed (217-199)[44]
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| Not Voting |
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Passed (320-91)[46]
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| Yea |
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Passed (387-26)[48]
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| Nay |
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Passed (219-184)[50]
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| Nay |
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Passed (214-213)[52]
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| Yea |
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Passed (341-82)[54]
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See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Candidate U.S. House California District 42 |
Officeholder U.S. House California District 42 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ United States Congress, "GARCIA, Robert," accessed September 14, 2025
- ↑ California State University-Long Beach, "Robert Garcia," accessed September 14, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Robert Garcia, "Meet Roberts," accessed September 19, 2014
- ↑ City of Long Beach, "Office of the Mayor," accessed December 16, 2020
- ↑ LA Times, "Robert Garcia to be sworn in as Long Beach's 28th mayor," July 15, 2014
- ↑ Long Beach Press-Telegram "Robert Garcia wins, Damon Dunn second as Long Beach mayor race goes to runoff," April 8, 2014
- ↑ City of Long Beach "Long Beach Primary Nominating Election - April 8, 2014 - Unofficial Results," accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ City of Long Beach, "Municipal Election 06032014 June 3, 2014 Unofficial Results," June 4, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Robert Garcia for Congress, “What I'm Fighting For,” accessed May 23, 2022
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2670 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024," accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 723," December 14, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.185 - To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes." accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 116," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2811 - Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023," accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 199," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.Con.Res.9 - Denouncing the horrors of socialism." accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 106," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1 - Lower Energy Costs Act," accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 182," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.30 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to 'Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights'." accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 149," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.7 - Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020." accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 104," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3746 - Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023," accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 243," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "Roll Call 20," accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.Res.757 - Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.," accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 519," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "Roll Call 527," accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.Res.757 - Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant." accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 519," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.Res.878 - Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives." accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 691," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "Social Security Fairness Act of 2023." accessed February 13, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 456," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.2 - Secure the Border Act of 2023," accessed February 13, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 209," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.4366 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024," accessed February 13, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 380," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024," accessed February 23, 2024
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 30," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.8070 - Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025," accessed February 18, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 279," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6090 - Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023," accessed February 13, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 172," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3935 - FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024," accessed February 13, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 200," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.9495 - Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act," accessed February 13, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 477," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.Res.863 - Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors." accessed February 13, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 43," accessed May 15, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.9747 - Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025," accessed February 13, 2025
- ↑ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, "Roll Call 450," accessed May 15, 2025
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ken Calvert (R) |
U.S. House California District 42 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Mayor of Long Beach 2014-2022 |
Succeeded by Rex Richardson |
| Preceded by - |
Long Beach Vice-Mayor 2012-2014 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Long Beach City Council District 1 2009-2014 |
Succeeded by - |
