Ileana Garcia
Ileana Garcia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Florida Senate from the 37th district | |
| Assumed office November 17, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Jose Javier Rodriguez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ileana Ydolia Garcia Allapattah, Florida |
| Political party | Republican |
Ileana Ydolia Garcia is a Republican politician from Florida, who serves as a member of the Florida Senate.
Early life[]
The daughter of Cuban exiles, Garcia grew up in Florida. Her career was in media, working in both television and radio.[1]
Political career[]
She served as the first Hispanic female Deputy Press Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump. Garcia founded the group Latinas for Trump and in 2016 was the Trump campaign's communications Director for Latino outreach.[2][3]
2020 Florida Senate election fraud investigation[]
In June 2020, Garcia filed to run against incumbent Democrat José Javier Rodríguez in Florida's 37th State Senate District. She was endorsed by Republican state senate President-Designate Wilton Simpson and Republican Majority Leader Kathleen Passidomo.[2] On the first count, Garcia beat Rodríguez by a narrow margin of 31 votes; the lead increased to 34 after a recount.[4][5]
Garcia's election came under immediate scrutiny by local news outlets for the candidacy of independent candidate Alex Rodríguez, who shares the same last name as José Javier Rodríguez. Alex Rodríguez received 6,382 votes,[6] and it was widely acknowledged that his candidacy was decisive in the outcome of the election.[7]
On March 17, 2021, former Republican State Senator Frank Artiles was accused of having paid $44,708.03 to Alex Rodríguez before and after the election in order for him to run as a false candidate in order to siphon off votes from candidate José Javier Rodríguez.[8] His house at Palmetto Bay was searched, and he surrendered the next day to the Miami-Dade County Jail.
References[]
- ^ Nicol, Ryan (June 2, 2020). "Ileana Garcia officially files to challenge José Javier Rodríguez in SD 37". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Ogles, Jacob. "GOP Senate Leadership picks Ileana Garcia to challenge Jose Javier Rodriguez". Florida Politics. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- ^ Llorente, Elizabeth. "Trump's new Latino outreach director says she's ready for the hot seat". Fox News. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- ^ Gross, Samantha J.; Ceballos, Ana. "Razor-thin Miami-Dade Senate race widens as more ballots are counted". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ Gross, Samantha (November 12, 2020). "After 3-day recount, incumbent Democrat loses Senate seat to Ileana Garcia by 34 votes". Miami herald. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ "Florida State Senate District 37". Ballotpedia.
- ^ Milberg, Glenna (November 16, 2020). "Miami-Dade State Senate candidate turns out to be shill funded by dark money that lives two counties away". WPLG.
- ^ [1](subscription required)
External links[]
| show Current members of the Florida Senate |
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- Florida Republicans
- Florida state senators
- Living people
- American politicians of Cuban descent
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century American women politicians
- Women state legislators in Florida