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Rafa Garcia

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This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Pleasecontact us with any updates.
Rafa Garcia
Image of Rafa Garcia
Elections and appointments
Last election

June 7, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

San José State University, 2011

Law

Lincoln Law School, 2019

Personal
Birthplace
Hollister, Calif.
Profession
Union representative
Contact

Rafa Garcia (Democratic Party) ran for election to theCalifornia State Senate to representDistrict 8. He lost in the primary onJune 7, 2022.

Garcia completed Ballotpedia'sCandidate Connection survey in 2022.Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Rafa Garcia was born inHollister, California. He earned a bachelor's degree from San Jose State University in 2011. He earned a law degree from Lincoln Law School in 2019. His career experience includes working as a union representative.[1]

Elections

2022

See also: California State Senate elections, 2022

General election

General election for California State Senate District 8

Angelique Ashby defeatedDave Jones in the general election for California State Senate District 8 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Angelique Ashby
Angelique Ashby (D)
 
51.5
 
118,135
Image of Dave Jones
Dave Jones (D) Candidate Connection
 
48.5
 
111,035

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 229,170
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for California State Senate District 8

Dave Jones andAngelique Ashby defeatedRafa Garcia andSusan Mason in the primary for California State Senate District 8 on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Dave Jones
Dave Jones (D) Candidate Connection
 
46.0
 
69,269
✔
Image of Angelique Ashby
Angelique Ashby (D)
 
41.0
 
61,700
Image of Rafa Garcia
Rafa Garcia (D) Candidate Connection
 
12.6
 
18,947
Susan Mason (R) (Write-in)
 
0.4
 
527

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 150,443
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign finance

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Rafa Garcia completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Garcia's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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I grew up in Hollister, an agricultural town off the central coast of California. My parents were immigrants from Mexico who worked tirelessly in both seasonal agriculture and construction. With the help of a loan program meant for low-income workers, they were able to buy and build their own home for our family. These humble beginnings instilled in me a strong work ethic, grit, and determination.

In 2011 I received my B.S at San José State University in Therapeutic Recreation. Soon after, I joined state service with the Department of State Hospitals and then later at the CDCR. While working for the state, I focused on advocating for an improved quality of life for incarcerated individuals in the Mental Health system. I worked on providing the best possible care for those that needed it and ensured that each person was treated with dignity and compassion.

While working with the state, I was exposed to injustices toward my colleagues. I stood up and became active in the labor movement. I became a union steward and helped colleagues through representation and overall organizing.

For this same reason, and at the same time, I pursued my law degree from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. I was elected as Student Bar Association President and focused on providing students with access to jobs and mental health. I strongly believe in defending and advocating for workers’ rights. I will focus on enhancing workplace protections and the health and safety of our workforce.
  • As a union representative, I know that representation and organizing matter.
  • We must stand together.
  • We must advocate for those who need advocacy the most.

Workers & Labor Rights- Advocate for workers’ rights through labor unions and workplace protections.

Healthcare & Mental Health care - Improve access to both healthcare and mental healthcare through a single-payer system.

COVID Recovery & Beyond - Increase accessibility related to COVID relief resources. Support small local businesses in COVID recovery and future success.

Education - Improve education through positive behavior intervention and free public higher education.


Climate Change - Protect our environment by investing in clean energy, materials, and infrastructure to address the effects of climate change.
An elected official must always be willing to listen and hear the stories of community members. An elected official must also practice good social skills and practice using good coping skills to ensure they are maintaining a healthy balanced lifestyle. Lastly, an elected official must always place the priorities of the communities when making policies.
The first historical event I remember is 9/11. I was 12 years old and I was getting ready to go to school when I saw the news reporting the event.
I had 2 first jobs. One was picking walnuts in an orchard. The other job I consider my first was working for Mcdonald's. I worked for Mcdonald's for approximately 8 years.
I have always liked Batman as a superhero so Batman is my choice.
Spanish: Los Angeles Azules - Nunca es Suficiente
English: Blink 182 - Feeling this
Hands down, Climate change is going to affect our lives the most. We must protect our marginalized communities and ensure we all have access to clean air, safe drinking water and are not desperately impacted by the effects of climate change.
I do not believe it is always beneficial. It may provide some benefit but I believe we need working-class individuals in positions of leadership.
I believe that we need to be talking with each other for policymaking. For too long we have not been talking and listening to each other and that must change. We must talk and listen so we can make progress moving forward.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also


External links

Candidate

California State Senate District 8

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    • Footnotes

    1. ↑Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 4, 2022


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