Robert Garcia

There’s only one candidate seriously running to represent California’s 42nd congressional district, and that’s Rep. Robert Garcia, so that makes this endorsement an easy call.

His nominal opponent, Brian Burley, doesn’t seem to be running to win. The Huntington Beach City School District trustee is also running for Huntington Beach City Council, which is just as well, since he offered no compelling ideas on federal policy in our interviews with him. His most notable idea is a tax to support Social Security.

Former Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia was first elected to represent a coastal district centered around Long Beach back in 2022. With Proposition 50’s redistricting, the 42nd district now spans from Long Beach down through Huntington Beach and Newport Beach.

Garcia, who once upon a time was a Republican, has quickly moved up the Democratic ranks in Congress. He has served as the Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee. In that capacity, he has been a consistent voice against corruption in the federal government, from the questionable uses of the presidential pardon power to the great enrichment of the Trump family and others in the administration.

Should the Democrats retake the House in the midterms, Garcia will be well-positioned to hold accountable those who need to be held accountable and hold up for scrutiny those in the federal government who are engaged in corrupt behavior. “What happened during this era can’t happen again,” Garcia told us, saying that his focus will be “all in on accountability” because America can’t afford to normalize the abuses of the Trump era.

On other policy matters, Garcia has been a consistent critic of the worst policy decisions of the Trump administration.

As any right-minded lawmaker from a port city would, Garcia has also been a critic of the president’s self-destructive tariff policies both for their illegality and their harmful impact on consumers and businesses. “Donald Trump has caused chaos globally with his reckless tariff policies that have raised prices and impacted America’s ports,” he said in February. “The Supreme Court has made it clear that these tariffs are illegal and harming consumers. It’s time to move forward and bring costs down for families.”

Garcia has also been a vocal critic of the president’s legally questionable and morally questionable meddling around the world, from the Caribbean boat bombings to the Iran war. He has also been critical of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies, advocating for a balanced approach that recognizes the positive contribution of immigrants to our country.

“As an immigrant and proud American, I know how important it is to reform our immigration process so that we have both secure borders and a system where those seeking asylum, work permits or citizenship are treated fairly and with respect,” he told us last year. “No one wants criminals in this country, but we should welcome folks who are here to work, uplift our economy and follow our laws. We are a great country that can do both.”

One of the points of amusement is the idea of a staunch Democrat representing the MAGAfied city of Huntington Beach. But on this point, Garcia, as a former coastal mayor, isn’t out to undercut any jurisdiction. He told us he will represent the district appropriately. When he’s re-elected this November, local residents should of course hold him to that.

This is an easy choice. Robert Garcia has our endorsement.