Freshman Florida House Dem ousted

Freshman Rep. Joe Garcia (D-Fla.) lost his re-election bid to Republican challenger Carlos Curbelo.

With 94 percent of the district reporting, Curbelo held an edge over the freshman, 51.6 percent to 48.4 percent.

{mosads}Garcia won the Miami seat in 2012, ousting the scandal-plagued David Rivera. But Garcia entered the fall as one of House Democrats’ most vulnerable incumbents, dogged by his own sets of ethics issues. His former campaign manager pleaded guilty to absentee voter fraud, and another staffer was investigated over funding a shadow candidate during Garcia’s unsuccessful 2010 campaign.

Curbelo most recently served as a Miami-Dade school board member.

“In Carlos Curbelo, Florida voters elected a leader who will not only fight for them, but will do so with the utmost integrity,” said Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Garcia has already conceded the race to Curbelo, according to the Miami Herald.

“It does not appear we’re going to make up ground. This year was not a good year for Democrats,” Garcia said.