Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia (D) on Friday announced a bid to replace retiring California Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D).
The announcement from Garcia, the first elected gay and Latino mayor of Long Beach, comes one day after Lowenthal became the 20th House Democrat to say he wouldn’t run for reelection in 2022, a year when Republicans only need to net five seats to take the House majority.
In a campaign video posted Friday morning, Garcia highlighted his mother, who immigrated to the U.S.
“My mom brought me to this country when I was 5. She risked everything so that I could succeed. Every single kid deserves the same shot that this country has given me,” Garcia said in a tweet.
In the video, Garcia said his late mother “risked everything so that I could become an American.”
He also highlighted his response to the coronavirus pandemic and the high vaccination rate in his community.
“We practice our patriotism at vaccination clinics and food banks,” Garcia said.
Lowenthal has represented California’s solid blue 47th Congressional District since 2013.
“It is time to pass the baton. It is time to rest and surround myself with the benefits of a life well lived and earned honorably in the service of my fellow citizens,” the 80-year-old Lowenthal said in a statement.