Robert Garcia
Robert Garcia, a Democrat who has represented California's 42nd congressional district since 2023 and previously served as mayor of Long Beach, faces Republican Brian Burley, a Huntington Beach City School District trustee, in 2026.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Robert Garcia.
- Born
- December 2, 1977
- Birthplace
- Lima, Peru
- Education
- Covina High School (1995)
California State University, Long Beach (degree in communication studies)
University of Southern California (master's degree)
California State University, Long Beach (Doctor of Education in educational policy, 2010)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Robert Garcia was born on December 2, 1977, in Lima, Peru, and arrived in the United States with his mother in 1982, at age 5. His mother and aunt worked in many jobs, including as housekeepers, to support the family, and Garcia became a United States citizen during college in his early 20s.
He graduated from Covina High School in 1995 and from California State University, Long Beach, where he was president of the Associated Students and earned a degree in communication studies.
He later received a master's degree from the University of Southern California and, in 2010, a Doctor of Education in educational policy from California State University, Long Beach. In 2007 he founded the Long Beach Post, a local news and sports website that he sold before being elected mayor.
Career
Robert Garcia won a seat on the Long Beach City Council in 2009, defeating six other candidates, and in July 2012 the council unanimously elected him vice mayor, making him the city's first Latino vice mayor and its youngest.
He entered the 2014 mayoral race after Bob Foster declined to seek reelection, finished first among 10 candidates in the April 8 election and won the June 3 runoff against Damon Dunn with 52% of the vote. He was reelected in 2018 with about 80%.
As the 28th mayor of Long Beach from 2014 to 2022, he was the city's youngest and first elected openly LGBT mayor and its first Latino mayor.
Garcia was elected to the U.S. House in the 2022 midterm elections, becoming the first Peruvian American elected to Congress. He was one of the leading figures in the expulsion of George Santos.
2026 race
Robert Garcia is the Democratic incumbent in the 2026 election for California's 42nd congressional district, having been re-elected with 68.1% of the vote in 2024. He finished first in the top-two primary with 56.47% of the vote.
Republican Brian Burley, a Huntington Beach City School District trustee and perennial candidate, placed second with 20.60%, ahead of fellow Republicans Noah Von Blom, the mayor pro tem of Newport Beach, and Long Pham. Garcia and Burley face each other in the general election on November 3, 2026.