Sylvia Garcia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sylvia Garcia
Official portrait, 2019
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 29th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Gene Green
Member of the Texas Senate from the 6th district
In office March 11, 2013 – November 9, 2018
Preceded by	Mario Gallegos Jr.
Succeeded by	Carol Alvarado
Member of the Harris County Commission from Precinct 2
In office January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2011
Preceded by	Jim Fontento
Succeeded by	Jack Morman
12th City Controller of Houston
In office January 2, 1998 – January 1, 2003
Preceded by	Lloyd Kelly
Succeeded by	Judy Gray Johnson
Personal details
Born	Sylvia Rodriguez Garcia (1950-09-06) September 6, 1950 (age 74) San Diego, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Texas Woman's University (BA) Texas Southern University (JD)
Signature
Website

Sylvia Rodriguez Garcia (born September 6, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician. Since 2019, she has served in the United States House of Representatives for the 29th congressional district in Texas. Her district includes a large part of eastern Houston.

As a member of the Democratic Party, Garcia has had a long career in public service. She and Veronica Escobar were the first two Latina women ever elected to Congress from Texas. Before this, she was a member of the Texas Senate.

Growing Up and Going to School

Sylvia Rodriguez Garcia was born in San Diego, Texas. She grew up in a small town called Palito Blanco. She was the eighth of ten children in her family.

After high school, Garcia won a scholarship to attend Texas Woman's University. She earned a degree in social work and started her career helping people as a social worker. Later, she went to law school at Texas Southern University and became a lawyer.

Early Career in Politics

Working for the City of Houston

In the 1980s, Houston's mayor appointed Garcia to be a judge for the city's court system. She was so good at her job that she served for five terms, which was longer than anyone before her.

In 1998, Garcia was elected as the Houston city controller. As the controller, she was in charge of managing the city's money.

Serving Harris County

In 2002, Garcia was elected to the Harris County Commissioner's Court. She was the first woman and the first Latina to be elected to this position. The area she represented was very important. It included a major NASA center, the country's largest group of chemical plants, and the Port of Houston, one of the busiest ports in the world.

She served as a commissioner until 2010.

Working in the Texas Senate

In 2013, Garcia won a special election to become a state senator. State senators help make laws for the state of Texas.

While in the Senate, she worked on several important committees. These groups focused on topics like criminal justice, transportation, and economic development. She left the Texas Senate in 2018 after being elected to the U.S. Congress.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

The U.S. House of Representatives is part of Congress, which makes laws for the entire country. Garcia represents the people of her district in Washington, D.C.

Elections

First Run for Congress in 1992

In 1992, while she was still a judge, Garcia ran for Congress for the first time. She came in third place in the primary election. A primary election is how a political party chooses its main candidate for the final election.

Winning a Seat in 2018

In 2017, the representative for her district, Gene Green, announced he was retiring. Garcia decided to run for the seat again. This time, she won the Democratic primary election with a large majority of the votes.

In the main election in November 2018, Garcia won easily. Her victory was historic. She became one of the first two Latina women from Texas to be elected to Congress. She was also the first woman and the first Hispanic person to represent her district.

Winning Re-election

Garcia was re-elected to her seat in Congress in 2020.

Important Work in Congress

In January 2020, Garcia was chosen for a very important job. She was one of seven people, called House impeachment managers, who presented the case for the impeachment of President Donald Trump in the United States Senate.

Committee and Caucus Work

In Congress, members join small groups called committees and caucuses to focus on specific issues.

Committee Assignments

• Committee on Financial Services: This committee deals with all issues related to the nation's economy, including banks and housing.
• Committee on the Judiciary: This committee handles matters related to law, the Constitution, and immigration.

Caucus Memberships

A caucus is a group of members of Congress who join together to support a common goal or interest. Garcia is a member of many caucuses, including:

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Congressional Women's Caucus
• Black Maternal Health Caucus
• Congressional Social Work Caucus

What She Believes In

According to an analysis by the website FiveThirtyEight, Garcia voted in line with President Joe Biden's official positions 100% of the time during the 117th United States Congress.

LGBT Rights

Garcia supports the Equality Act. This proposed law would protect people from being treated unfairly because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Disaster Relief

In 2024, after Hurricane Beryl left over a million people in Houston without electricity, Garcia publicly questioned the power company, CenterPoint Energy, about the long outages.

Immigration

Garcia helped create a bill called the American Dream and Promise Act, which is focused on immigration issues.

Personal Life

Garcia is Roman Catholic.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Sylvia Garcia para niños

• List of Hispanic and Latino American jurists
• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
• Women in the United States House of Representatives