California Congressman Robert Garcia — the first out gay immigrant elected to the U.S. House — is quietly building support to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
Garcia, 47, already serves on the committee and has begun sounding out colleagues for a possible leadership run. The current ranking Democrat, Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly, announced he’ll step back to focus on cancer treatment. Garcia’s bid would likely draw support from both the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Equality Caucus, where he is a co-chair.
Both groups have pushed for more diverse leadership in Congress. Garcia’s sharp media presence and committee work have earned him a growing national profile. He recently traveled to El Salvador to investigate the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and gay Venezuelan asylum-seeker Andry Hernandez Romero.
Known for calling out right-wing extremism, Garcia has repeatedly confronted Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene during hearings — even mocking her infamous use of explicit images by holding up a photo of Elon Musk, calling it a “dick pic.” With Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stepping aside from the leadership race, new names are surfacing.
Representatives like Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Ro Khanna of California, and Maxwell Frost of Florida are among the potential contenders. Frost and Garcia are close allies and have agreed not to run against each other. Will Garcia become the next queer trailblazer in congressional leadership? Queer News Tonight will follow this story closely.
