Sylvia Garcia
Sylvia Garcia
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 6th district
Assumed office
January 2013
Preceded byMario Gallegos Jr.
Personal details
Born (1950-09-06) September 6, 1950 (age 73)
Palito Blanco, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationTexas Woman's University (BA)
Texas Southern University (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Sylvia R. Garcia (born September 6, 1950) is an American politician who represents District 6 in the Texas Senate. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and is her party's nominee in Texas's 29th congressional district in the 2018 election.

Early life and education

Sylvia Garcia was born in Palito Blanco, Texas. She was the eighth of ten children.

Garcia attended Texas Woman's University on a scholarship, graduating with a degree in social work. After completing her studies, she began her career as a social worker. She later received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.[1]

Early political career

City of Houston

In the early 1980s, Houston Mayor Kathryn Whitmire appointed Garcia as presiding judge of the Houston Municipal System.[2] She served for an unprecedented five terms under two mayors.[3]

In 1998, Garcia became Houston city controller.[4]

Harris County

Garcia was elected to the Harris County Commissioner's Court in 2002. She was the first woman and first Latina elected to that post in her own right.[1] Her precinct featured a major base of operations for NASA, the nation’s largest petrochemical complex, the Houston Ship Channel and the Port of Houston, the sixth largest port in the world.[4]

Garcia was defeated by Republican Jack Morman in 2010.[5]

Texas Senate

Garcia represents District 6 in the Texas Senate. In 2013, she defeated State Rep. Carol Alvarado in a special election runoff to replace the late Sen. Mario Gallegos.[6]

Garcia took the oath of office on March 11, 2013.[7] She currently serves on the Criminal Justice, Intergovernmental Relations, Natural Resources and Economic Development, and Transportation committees.[8] Garcia ran unopposed in the 2016 general election, winning re-election.[9]

U. S. House of Representatives

Elections

1992

While still serving as a municipal judge, Garcia ran in the Democratic primary for the newly-created 29th District in 1992. She finished third in the five-way primary–the real contest in this heavily Democratic, Latino-majority district– behind City Councilman Ben Reyes and State Senator Gene Green.[10] Green went on to win the runoff, and would hold the seat for 26 years.

2018

Green announced his retirement in November 2017, and Garcia–who by then held the state senate seat Green once held–entered a crowded seven-way Democratic primary. The district was still a Democratic stronghold, and whoever won the primary would be an overwhelming favorite in November. Garcia got a significant boost when Green endorsed her as his successor, saying that "she's a legislator, and that's what a member of Congress should be."[11] She easily won the primary with 63 percent of the vote.[12] She and Veronica Escobar are poised to become the first Latina congresswomen from Texas.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ a b "Senator Sylvia Garcia: District 6". Texas State Senate.
  2. ^ "History in the making in this year's election". University of Houston–Clear Lake.
  3. ^ "TMSL Alumni". Texas Southern University.
  4. ^ a b "Texas State Directory". Texas State Directory.
  5. ^ "Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia loses seat to political newcomer". KHOU. Archived from the original on 2010-12-08. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Sylvia Garcia Defeats Alvarado in Senate Runoff". News 92 FM.
  7. ^ "Sylvia Garcia, newest state senator, sworn in". KXAN.
  8. ^ "Texas Senators". State of Texas.
  9. ^ "Texas 6th District State Senate Results: Sylvia Garcia Wins". New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  10. ^ 1992 congressional primary
  11. ^ Shay, Miya (2018-03-06). "Senator Garcia expected to take Congressman Gene Green's seat in Congress". KTRK-TV.
  12. ^ 2018 congressional primary
  13. ^ "Veronica Escobar is closer to making House history in Texas". Elpasotimes.com. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  14. ^ "Veronica Escobar on path to make Latina, Texas history after Congress primary victory". khou.com. March 12, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
Texas Senate Preceded byMario Gallegos, Jr. Texas State Senatorfrom District 6 (Houston) 2013-present Incumbent
Members of the Texas Senate
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