Sylvia Garcia

Sylvia Garcia assumed office as U.S. representative for Texas's 29th Congressional District on Jan. 3, 2019. She and Veronica Escobar, U.S. representative for Texas's 16th Congressional District, are the first Hispanic women to represent Texas in the U.S. House.

Garcia was born September 6, 1950, in Palito Blanco, Texas. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in social work from Texas Women's University, she worked as a social worker. She later received a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Southern University.

In the early 1980s, Houston Mayor Kathryn Whitmire appointed Garcia as presiding judge of the Houston Municipal System, and she served for five terms under two mayors. In 1998, Garcia became Houston city controller. From 2003 to 2010, Garcia served on the Harris County Commissioner's Court, the first woman and first Latina elected to that post in her own right. In 2013, Garcia won a special election to replace late state Senator Mario Gallegos, serving until her election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

For information on Garcia's policy subject areas, committee appointments and sponsored/co-sponsored legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, please visit her profile on https://www.congress.gov.