Robert Garcia Bio
Robert Julio Garcia (born December 2, 1977) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for California’s 42nd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 28th mayor of Long Beach, California, from 2014 to 2022, and before that served on the Long Beach City Council and as vice mayor. Born in Lima, Peru, Garcia immigrated to the United States as a child and later became a naturalized citizen. He is also an educator and publisher who founded the Long Beach Post and has taught at local universities.
Garcia is the first Peruvian American elected to Congress and was one of the leading figures in the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the House. He has been recognized as Long Beach’s youngest and first elected openly gay mayor, as well as the city’s first Latino mayor. His career has spanned local government, education, journalism, and national politics.
Early Life and Background
Robert Julio Garcia was born in Lima, Peru, on December 2, 1977. He arrived in the United States with his mother in 1982 at the age of five on visitor visas, which later became unlawful when they overstayed. In 1986, through immigration reform legislation, they applied for green cards. His mother and aunt worked many jobs, including as housekeepers, to support the family during those early years in the country.
Garcia graduated from Covina High School in 1995 and went on to attend California State University, Long Beach, where he majored in communication studies. He became president of the Associated Students and was an active member of the Delta Chi fraternity. During his early twenties, he became a United States citizen. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Southern California and a Doctor of Education in educational policy from California State University, Long Beach, in 2010.
His family originally registered as Republicans after becoming citizens, drawn by President Ronald Reagan’s signing of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Garcia himself was active in Republican politics in his early twenties, including founding the Long Beach Young Republicans in 2005. He changed his party registration to Democratic in 2007, the year before launching a campaign for the Long Beach City Council.
Path to US Politics
Garcia’s entry into political life began through Republican activism. He served as the California Youth Coordinator for George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign, a role he obtained by writing letters to the national headquarters in Austin and volunteering at local GOP offices. He also worked as an aide to former Republican Vice Mayor Frank Colonna and ran Colonna’s unsuccessful 2006 Long Beach mayoral campaign. He described himself during that period as socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
After switching to the Democratic Party in 2007, Garcia founded the Long Beach Post, a local news website that became popular with community leaders and political figures. The venture raised his local profile. In 2009, he defeated six other candidates to win a seat on the Long Beach City Council representing the First District, and he was reelected in 2010 by more than 40 percentage points.
During his council tenure, Garcia authored or cosponsored more than 20 pieces of legislation, including the city’s first Equal Benefits Ordinance, smoking bans at bus stops and farmers’ markets, and a broad arts initiative. In 2012, he was unanimously elected vice mayor, becoming the first Latino vice mayor in Long Beach and the youngest in the city’s history. He was appointed to the California Coastal Commission in January 2013.
Robert Garcia Career
Early Career (2009–2014)
Garcia’s first major elected office came in 2009, when he won a seat on the Long Beach City Council. He quickly became known for his work on equality, public safety, and labor issues, supporting Project Labor Agreements at the Long Beach Airport and the Port of Long Beach. His political rise continued in 2012 when he was chosen as vice mayor by his council colleagues.
In 2011, Garcia led the effort to name a planned park in the First District after San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, a murdered LGBT civil rights icon. The park, Harvey Milk Promenade Park, opened in 2013. That same period brought Garcia national recognition, including a feature in CNN’s 2009 special “Latino in America” and a place on The Advocate’s “40 under 40” list.
Mayoral Breakthrough (2014–2022)
After Mayor Bob Foster announced he would not seek reelection, Garcia launched his campaign for mayor in July 2013. In the April 2014 primary, he finished first in a field of ten candidates with 25.4 percent of the vote. He went on to defeat Damon Dunn in the June runoff with 52 percent of the vote, taking office on July 15, 2014, as the youngest, first openly gay, and first Latino mayor of Long Beach.
Garcia was reelected on April 11, 2018, with about 80 percent of the vote. His first 100 days in office focused on education and seating commissioners, including a commitment to universal preschool and a doubling of local internships. He appointed more than 60 commissioners, creating the most diverse slate in city history, with a majority being women.
As mayor, Garcia championed ten ballot initiatives covering public safety, infrastructure, term limits, ethics, and redistricting, all of which passed. He led America’s second-largest container port, the Port of Long Beach, working to implement climate goals and building trade relationships with partners in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Chile, Denmark, Peru, Switzerland, and Germany. He also signed the Global Covenant of Mayors in 2015 and supported the city’s first Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
U.S. House Era (2023–Present)
On December 22, 2021, Garcia announced his candidacy for California’s 42nd congressional district. He won election to the United States House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections, becoming the first Peruvian American elected to Congress. He took office in 2023, choosing to swear his oath on the U.S. Constitution, a picture of his parents, and an original copy of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman.
Garcia was one of the leading figures in the expulsion of Representative George Santos in 2023, filing motions that ultimately led to Santos’s removal by a 311–114 vote. He has continued to focus on labor, climate, and LGBTQ+ rights in his national work. In 2024, he voted in favor of three military aid package supplementals for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
In 2025, Garcia co-sponsored The Stop Ballroom Bribery Act, a bill designed to prevent presidents from accepting private donations for White House construction, and sponsored legislation to create a U.S. envoy dedicated to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights worldwide. In January 2026, following the killing of Alex Pretti, he called for abolishing ICE and said he would support the impeachment of Kristi Noem.
Notable Events and Milestones
Garcia’s career has been defined by several signature moments, including his role in the expulsion of George Santos and his pioneering 2014 election as Long Beach’s first openly gay and first Latino mayor. He was one of three openly gay speakers to jointly deliver the keynote address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, a first in the event’s history. He has also built a national profile through his work on labor, climate, and immigrant rights.
Robert Garcia Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Garcia was born in Lima, Peru, and immigrated to the United States with his mother in 1982. His mother and aunt worked multiple jobs, including as housekeepers, to support the family after settling in the country. He and his family became naturalized citizens during his early twenties, originally registering as Republicans before he later switched parties.
Garcia is openly gay. On December 22, 2018, he married his longtime partner, California State University, Long Beach professor Matthew Mendez. The couple later divorced, and Garcia currently lives in Long Beach, California. He identifies as Catholic.
Robert Garcia Awards and Recognition
Garcia has received national attention for his progressive leadership and his role as a young, Latino, and openly gay elected official. He was featured in CNN’s 2009 special “Latino in America” and was named to The Advocate’s “40 under 40” list. In 2020, he was selected as one of 17 speakers to jointly deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. He was also named to the California Coastal Commission in 2013.