Sylvia Garcia

On January 15, 2020, Garcia was selected as one of seven impeachment managers who will present the impeachment case against President Donald Trump during his trial before the United States Senate.

Green announced his retirement in November 2017, and Garcia–who by then held the state senate seat Green once held–entered a crowded seven-way Democratic primary. The district was still a Democratic stronghold, and whoever won the primary would be an overwhelming favorite in November. Garcia got a significant boost when Green endorsed her as his successor, saying that "she's a legislator, and that's what a member of Congress should be." She easily won the primary with 63 percent of the vote. Her Republican opponent, Phillip Aronoff, used the sexual harassment and wrongful termination allegations against Garcia. Garcia handily won the November 6, 2018 general election. She and Veronica Escobar became the first Latina congresswomen from Texas. As well, Garcia is the first Hispanic to represent a significant portion of Houston in Congress.

Days before the 2018 election, a video was posted on YouTube alleging that Garcia has been accused of sexual harassment and wrongful termination over events occurring in 1995. Garcia refutes the claims.

In 2013, Garcia defeated State Representative Carol Alvarado in a special election runoff to replace the late state Senator Mario Gallegos.

Garcia took the oath of office for state senator on March 11, 2013. She served on the Criminal Justice, Intergovernmental Relations, Natural Resources and Economic Development, and Transportation committees. Garcia ran unopposed in the 2016 general election.

Garcia was defeated for reelection to the Harris County Commissioner's Court in 2010 by Republican Jack Morman.

Garcia was elected to the Harris County Commissioner's Court in 2002. She was the first woman and first Latina elected to that post in her own right. Her precinct featured a major base of operations for NASA, the nation's largest petrochemical complex, the Houston Ship Channel and the Port of Houston, the sixth largest port in the world.

While still serving as a municipal judge, Garcia ran in the Democratic primary for the newly-created 29th congressional seat in 1992. She finished third in the five-way primary–the real contest in this heavily Democratic, Latino-majority district– behind City Councilman Ben Reyes and State Senator Gene Green. Green went on to win the runoff, and would hold the seat for 26 years.

In the early 1980s, Houston Mayor Kathryn Whitmire appointed Garcia as presiding judge of the Houston Municipal System. She served for an unprecedented five terms under two mayors.

Garcia supports the Equality Act, a bill that would expand the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. She voted in favor of the bill in 2019.

Sylvia Rodriguez Garcia (born September 6, 1950) is an American politician who has been serving as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 29th congressional district since 2019. Her district covers much of eastern Houston. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented District 6 in the Texas Senate.