History of Robert Garcia (California congressman) in Timeline

Robert Garcia is a Democratic politician currently serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 42nd congressional district since 2023. Previously, he served as the 28th Mayor of Long Beach, California, from 2014 to 2022. During his tenure, he was the city's youngest, first openly LGBT, and first Latino mayor. Prior to his mayoral role, Garcia was a Long Beach City Council member and served as vice mayor from 2012 to 2014. His career reflects a commitment to public service and representation.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

December 2, 1977: Robert Garcia Born

On December 2, 1977, Robert Julio Garcia was born. He would later become a U.S. Representative and the mayor of Long Beach, California.

1980: Eunice Sato as Mayor of Long Beach

In 1980, Eunice Sato became the mayor of Long Beach

1982: End of Eunice Sato's Mayoral term

In 1982, Eunice Sato's term as the mayor of Long Beach concluded.

1986: Immigration Reform and Control Act

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act. Robert Garcia has said that he and his family originally registered as Republicans, when they became citizens, in admiration of the signing.

1995: Graduation from Covina High School

In 1995, Robert Garcia graduated from Covina High School.

2000: California Youth Coalition Coordinator

In 2000, Robert Garcia landed the job of California Youth Coalition Coordinator for the Bush-Cheney campaign.

2000: California Youth Coordinator for Bush Campaign

In 2000, Robert Garcia was the California Youth Coordinator for George W. Bush's presidential campaign.

2005: Founded Long Beach Young Republicans

In 2005, Robert Garcia founded the Long Beach Young Republicans.

2006: Aide to Frank Colonna

In 2006, Robert Garcia worked as an aide to Republican former vice mayor Frank Colonna and ran Colonna's unsuccessful bid in the Long Beach, California mayoral election.

2007: Changed Party Registration to Democratic

In 2007, Robert Garcia changed his party registration to Democratic.

2007: Founded Long Beach Post

In 2007, Robert Garcia founded the Long Beach Post, a website devoted to local news and sports reporting.

2008: Bonnie Lowenthal elected to California State Assembly

In 2008, Bonnie Lowenthal was elected to the California State Assembly, vacating a seat that Robert Garcia would later win in 2009.

2009: Elected to Long Beach City Council

In 2009, Robert Garcia was elected to the Long Beach City Council.

2009: Featured in CNN Special

In 2009, Robert Garcia was featured in CNN's special "Latino in America."

April 2010: Re-elected to City Council

In April 2010, Robert Garcia was re-elected to the Long Beach City Council by more than 40 percentage points.

2010: Doctor of Education Degree

In 2010, Robert Garcia received his Doctor of Education degree in educational policy from California State University, Long Beach.

2010: Support of Long Beach Downtown Community Plan

In 2010, Robert Garcia's support of the Long Beach Downtown Community Plan was criticized by affordable housing advocates. The plan eventually passed the City Council.

2011: Spearheaded Harvey Milk Park Effort

In 2011, Robert Garcia spearheaded the effort to name a planned park in Long Beach after Harvey Milk.

July 2012: Elected Vice Mayor

In July 2012, Robert Garcia was unanimously elected to a two-year term as Vice Mayor by the Long Beach City Council.

2012: Vice Mayor of Long Beach

In 2012, Robert Garcia became the vice mayor of Long Beach, California.

January 2013: Appointed to California Coastal Commission

In January 2013, Robert Garcia was appointed to the California Coastal Commission.

July 2013: Announced Candidacy for Long Beach Mayor

In July 2013, Robert Garcia announced his candidacy for Long Beach mayor.

2013: Harvey Milk Promenade Park Opened

In 2013, the Harvey Milk Promenade Park opened in Long Beach, after Robert Garcia spearheaded the effort to name a planned park after Harvey Milk in 2011.

April 8, 2014: Finished First in Mayoral Election

On April 8, 2014, Robert Garcia received 25.4% of the vote in the election for Long Beach mayor, finishing first among 10 candidates.

2014: Mayor of Long Beach

In 2014, Robert Garcia became the 28th mayor of Long Beach, California.

2015: Signed Global Covenant of Mayors

In 2015, Robert Garcia signed the Global Covenant of Mayors, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Long Beach continued its dedication to climate change action and developed its first-ever Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP)

December 2017: Endorsed Gavin Newsom for Governor

In December 2017, Robert Garcia endorsed Gavin Newsom for governor, making him the first elected Latino to do so.

April 11, 2018: Re-elected as Mayor

On April 11, 2018, Robert Garcia was re-elected as mayor of Long Beach with about 80% of the vote.

December 22, 2018: Married Matthew Mendez

On December 22, 2018, Robert Garcia married Matthew Mendez. The two have since divorced.

May 2019: California State Co-Chair for Kamala Harris Campaign

In May 2019, Robert Garcia joined others in becoming a California state co-chair for Kamala Harris's 2020 presidential campaign.

July 2020: Joined Latino Leadership Committee for Biden Campaign

In July 2020, Robert Garcia joined the Latino Leadership Committee for the Biden campaign, after Kamala Harris bowed out of the Democratic primary and she and Garcia endorsed Joe Biden.

July 2020: Petition to Recall Garcia Approved

In July 2020, inspired by the George Floyd protests, a petition to recall Robert Garcia was approved by the Long Beach City Clerk.

August 2020: Keynote Speaker at Democratic National Convention

In August 2020, Robert Garcia was selected as one of 17 speakers to jointly deliver the keynote address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

November 9, 2020: Mayoral Recall Canceled

On November 9, 2020, the mayoral recall was canceled in the wake of the national election.

2020: Founded Mayors 4 Medicare

In 2020, Robert Garcia and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf formed Mayors 4 Medicare, a coalition of U.S. mayors dedicated to ensuring people across the country have access to health care.

December 22, 2021: Announced Candidacy for U.S. House

On December 22, 2021, Robert Garcia announced his candidacy for California's 42nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in 2022.

2022: Elected to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2022, Robert Garcia was elected to the United States House of Representatives in the midterm elections. He is the first Peruvian American to be elected to Congress.

2022: End of Mayoral Term

In 2022, Robert Garcia's term as the mayor of Long Beach, California, concluded.

2023: U.S. Representative

In 2023, Robert Garcia became the U.S. representative for California's 42nd congressional district.

April 2024: Voted in favor of military aid packages

In April 2024, Robert Garcia voted in favor of three military aid package supplementals for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan respectively.

February 2025: Controversial CNN Interview

In a February 2025 interview with CNN, Robert Garcia made controversial comments regarding Elon Musk's influence, which led to a letter from the Department of Justice.