Ileana Garcia
Ileana Ydolia Garcia is a Republican politician from Florida, who serves as a member of the Florida Senate.
Ileana Garcia | |
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| 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 |
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]
Florida Senate
In June 2020 Garcia filed to run against incumbent Democrat José Javier Rodríguez in Florida's 37th State Senate District, endorsed by state senate President-Designate Wilton Simpson and 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]
References
- Nicol, Ryan (2020-06-02). "Ileana Garcia officially files to challenge José Javier Rodríguez in SD 37". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- Ogles, Jacob. "GOP Senate Leadership picks Ileana Garcia to challenge Jose Javier Rodriguez". Florida Politics. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- Llorente, Elizabeth. "Trump's new Latino outreach director says she's ready for the hot seat". Fox News. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- Gross, Samantha J.; Ceballos, Ana. "Razor-thin Miami-Dade Senate race widens as more ballots are counted". Miami Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
- Gross, Samantha (2020-11-12). "After 3-day recount, incumbent Democrat loses Senate seat to Ileana Garcia by 34 votes". Miami herald. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
Current members of the Florida Senate | ||
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