Endorsed 
Congressman Robert Garcia represents California’s 42nd district in the House of Representatives, which covers much of the South Bay area, including his home, Long Beach. Born in Lima, Peru, Garcia’s mother brought him to the United States at age 5. He attended Cal State Long Beach for his undergraduate education and the University of Southern California for his master’s degree.
Prior to his election to Congress in 2022, Rep. Garcia served on the Long Beach City Council for 5 years from 2009 to 2014, including a 2 year term as vice Mayor. In 2014, he was elected as Mayor of Long Beach. He was the youngest and first openly LGBT person elected to that office. During his tenure as Mayor, he oversaw unprecedented economic growth and enacted programs that ranged from tuition-free community college to a climate action plan to a pandemic recovery package.
Currently in his first term in Congress, Rep. Garcia serves on the Homeland Security and Oversight Committees and as Freshman Class President. He is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Freethought Caucus, and the Equality Caucus, of which he is a co-chair.
Rep. Garcia has strongly supported J Street's values during his first term in Congress. He signed the Pocan-Schakowsky-Jayapl-McGovern letter on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and also signed the Nadler-Raskin-Goldman letter which asserted that a commitment to Israel’s security is not incompatible with a commitment to the humanitarian needs of the innocent people of Gaza.
