Joe Garcia, who fought Mario Diaz-Balart for this seat in 2008, resigned from the Obama Administration to re-contest the Republican-held Congressional District for the second time, making the announcement of his candidacy yesterday. Garcia's opponent looks to be Republican State Legislator David Rivera
with more than $1 million in campaign donations already stockpiled for a state Senate bid. But a jump to a federal race would require him to return the checks to comply with the ban on corporate donations. Miami Herald
Unlike newly elected Ted Deutch's race in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, this one is hotly contested. Perhaps it's a seat too hot for Mario Brother who is vacating his long-held District 25 chair for his brother's cooler District 21 throne. Mario defeated Joe G. in the last go round by garnering 53% of the vote. Lincoln Diaz-Balart is retiring.
Garcia quit his job with the Energy Department as director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity to try to attain a Congressional seat after losing the '08 election by a slim 6 points to its long-time Republican incumbent.
In his announcement yesterday, Garcia said
"This is a tough time. I know how battered the economy is and I know that the people of South Florida need a voice, they need a voice for their future." Miami Herald
Early polling is favorable for Garcia.
The race for Lincoln's heavily Cuban-American district may feature a contest between his younger brother and former Democratic Hialeah mayor, Raul Martinez, who opposed Lincoln in '08. Lincoln won with 58% of the vote.
Make no mistake, Joe Garcia may have a "D" behind his name, but "Better Democrat" he isn't. Likewise, possible Democratic challenger to Mario Diaz-Balart, Raul Martinez, enjoys an even more corrupt political history than Garcia.
But with this cast of characters, and Miami being Miami, it should be one hell of an entertaining race -- and a solid test of Democratic resurgence in this part of SoFla.
UPDATE: As prompted by poster, BlueCubano (Thanks!), I retract and revise my negative assessment of Mr. Garcia and apologize for not vetting the scandal I'd associated with his name properly. Joe Garcia is a Better Democrat. (Wish I could say the same for Raul Martinez.)