Marilinda Garcia
Marilinda J. Garcia is a former Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Rockingham 8 from 2006 to 2014. Garcia did not run for re-election in 2014, choosing instead to run for election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Garcia ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent New Hampshire's 2nd District. Garcia won the Republican nomination in the primary on September 9, 2014, but was defeated by incumbent Annie Kuster (D) in the general election on November 4, 2014.[1][2][3]
In August 2013, the Republican National Committee launched its Rising Stars program, introducing Garcia and three other Republicans as "the future of our party." The program was designed to prominently feature the four young politicians on GOP.com and give a national platform to share their unique perspectives.[4][5]
Biography
Garcia earned her B.A. from Tufts University, B.M. from the New England Conservatory of Music and M.P.P. from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Her professional experience includes working in business development, strategic account management and higher education consulting, as well as teaching harp at Phillips Exeter Academy, St. Paul's School and Gordon College.[6][7]
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Garcia served on the following committees:
| New Hampshire committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Finance |
| • Finance - Division I |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Garcia served on this committee:
| New Hampshire committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Legislative Administration |
Campaign themes
2014
Garcia's campaign website outlined the following issues:[8]
- Quality, Affordable Healthcare Choices: "Instead of top-down solutions, in which politicians, bureaucrats and insurance executives are in charge of our decision-making, we should promote bottom-up solutions in which consumers make decisions for themselves."
- End Deficit Spending: "Reforming our budget and ending the deficit will require leadership and tough decisions. As a member of the state Finance Committee, I helped lead efforts to balance the New Hampshire budget without raising taxes in response to an historic $800 million hole in our state budget. Instead of playing games with the numbers, we acted responsibly. By finding efficiencies and cutting spending, we not only succeeded in passing a balanced budget, New Hampshire now enjoys a budget surplus. I will support the same commonsense approach to budgeting in Congress."
- Environmental Stewardship: "Conservatives must reclaim our tradition as trusted environmental stewards. Common-sense environmental protections, such as promoting the conservation of open space, scenic vistas and historic landscapes is a nonpartisan approach to ensuring we maintain the beautiful aesthetic environment that makes New Hampshire unique. We have a responsibility to our home and future generations to effectively manage our public lands, our wildlife and our air and our water."
- Strengthening our Immigration System: "The immigration issue is deeply personal for me: my mother is Italian-American and my father Spanish-American. America is a welcoming country that has always found its identity as a nation of immigrants. We must ensure our policies always communicate a respect for diversity and appreciation for the contribution immigrants have made to our country. I believe that our immigration system makes it too complicated to stay here legally and too easy to stay illegally. To this end, we have a duty to strengthen border security not only to prevent further illegal immigration, but also to protect the homeland against foreign terrorist threats. Politicians and political parties using immigration as a wedge issue make it more difficult to find common ground. Immigration is central to who we are as a nation; working for pragmatic solutions that respect our laws and our traditions should be applauded."
- Strong Families, Strong Nation: "I believe in the Culture of Life. Every person is infused with human dignity, regardless of race, creed, gender, nationality, or economic status. I am consistently pro-life, and believe states have a role in enacting policies that respect human life and decrease the abortion rate. I oppose federal taxpayer funding of abortion. The economic strength of our nation is dependent upon the social stability of our families. I support efforts that strengthen community and family traditions, and engender religious freedoms. I oppose efforts to displace family, community and charitable support structures with government programs."
- Protect the Second Amendment: "I am a strong backer of the Constitution's Second Amendment, and will oppose efforts to impose new gun controls. In my seven years in the New Hampshire Legislature, I have received an A rating from the National Rifle Association."
- An Education Our Children Deserve: "Each family should be able to send their child to the school that best meets their needs. I believe in the 'all-of-the-above' approach to education; a strong education system that meets the unique needs of each child requires the support of the local public schools, charter schools, homeschool communities and parochial and all independent schools."
- Energy Policies That Work: "My top priority is opposing any new energy taxes, such as the Cap-and-Trade tax or the plethora of new taxes and regulatory burdens associated with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). I oppose the cap-and-trade energy tax. Second, we can positively impact energy prices by pursuing a smart energy policy. I support policies that would increase domestic energy exploration and production, increase our refinement capacity and build more efficient energy transport systems, such as the long-overdue Keystone XL Pipeline. These policies would reduce the cost of energy, reduce our dependency on foreign oil and create new, good-paying American manufacturing jobs."
- Support Our Allies in the Middle East: "America has no greater ally in the Middle East than Israel. Unlike any other nation in the region, with Israel we share a commitment to individual rights, religious tolerance and representative democracy. That is why we must emphasize our commitment to Israel as we continue to face common threats, such as a nuclear-ambitious Iran and global terrorism."
Elections
2014
Garcia ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent New Hampshire's 2nd District. Garcia won the Republican nomination in the primary on September 9, 2014, but lost to incumbent Annie Kuster (D) in the general election.[1][2] The general election took place on November 4, 2014.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Annie Kuster Incumbent |
54.9% | 130,700 | |
| Republican | Marilinda Garcia | 44.9% | 106,871 | |
| N/A | Scatter | 0.3% | 613 | |
| Total Votes | 238,184 | |||
| Source: New Hampshire Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Marilinda Garcia |
49.3% | 27,285 | ||
| Gary Lambert | 27.5% | 15,196 | ||
| Jim Lawrence | 18.7% | 10,327 | ||
| Mike Little | 4.5% | 2,489 | ||
| Total Votes | 55,297 | |||
| Source: New Hampshire Secretary of State - Official Election Results' |
||||
Race background
In September 2014, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) added Garcia to their "Young Guns" list of candidates who "met a series of rigorous goals and surpassed program benchmarks to establish a clear path to victory."[9][10]
Endorsements
Garcia received the following endorsements:
- Club for Growth PAC[11]
- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)[12]
Plagiarism accusations
On October 23, 2014, Garcia apologized for quoting an article without attribution in a 2012 speech on the marriage equality law. Five paragraphs from her speech were taken almost verbatim from a 2010 National Review article. In her apology, Garcia stated, "It appears I did not verbally attribute select excerpts of a speech I delivered on the house floor in 2012 to the article from which they came. I acknowledge that I should have verbally cited the author of the article, and apologize for the oversight."[13] She was later accused of a second instance of plagiarism from a debate held in February 2014. Both allegations were put forth by an advocacy group called Granite State Progress. The second instance was said to be taken from the book, Virginia: The Old Dominion, by Matthew Page Andrews. A spokesman for Garcia's campaign responded by accusing Garcia's opponent in the general election, incumbent Annie Kuster (D), of three instances of plagiarism. For example, the spokesman pointed out that one section of Kuster's campaign website used the same wording as the campaign website of Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA).[13]
Healthcare coverage
Garcia was a staunch opponent of the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare." In an interview with New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), Garcia argued that Democratic incumbent Annie Kuster would be defeated because she continued to vote with President Barack Obama on issues like Obamacare. Garcia added, "It’s Obamacare and the effects it’s having in all aspects of our economy and access to care, and the way it was sold on false premises." Despite her critique, Garcia refused to reveal how she received her own healthcare or whether she was covered by Obamacare, stating, "I don’t need to talk about that. Thank you."[14]
On September 12, 2014, Garcia revealed that she was not covered by Obamacare, but instead purchased a short-term, month-by-month insurance plan, covering only catastrophic health issues.[15]
Media
|
2012
Garcia won re-election in the 2012 election for New Hampshire House of Representatives, Rockingham 8. Garcia advanced past the September 11 primary and won re-election in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[17][18]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ronald Belanger Incumbent |
7.2% | 6,519 | |
| Republican | Gary Azarian Incumbent |
7.2% | 6,504 | |
| Republican | John Sytek Incumbent |
7.1% | 6,399 | |
| Republican | Joe Sweeney |
6.9% | 6,287 | |
| Republican | Robert Elliott Incumbent |
6.6% | 5,996 | |
| Republican | Marilinda Garcia Incumbent |
6.5% | 5,877 | |
| Republican | Anne Priestley |
6.4% | 5,808 | |
| Republican | Bianca Rose Garcia |
6.4% | 5,760 | |
| Republican | Patrick Bick |
5.4% | 4,931 | |
| Democratic | Michael Murray | 5.3% | 4,810 | |
| Democratic | Susan Desmet | 5.2% | 4,753 | |
| Democratic | John Murphy | 4.6% | 4,134 | |
| Democratic | Rebecca Fee | 4.5% | 4,082 | |
| Democratic | Ralph Stein | 4.5% | 4,051 | |
| Democratic | Camron Iannalfo | 4.3% | 3,907 | |
| Democratic | Dee Lewis | 4.1% | 3,709 | |
| Democratic | Lawson Brouse | 4% | 3,659 | |
| Democratic | Harley Featherston | 3.8% | 3,449 | |
| Total Votes | 90,635 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
John Sytek Incumbent |
11% | 1,337 |
| Robert Elliott Incumbent |
10.6% | 1,292 |
| Ronald Belanger Incumbent |
10.5% | 1,277 |
| Gary Azarian Incumbent |
10.5% | 1,273 |
| Marilinda Garcia Incumbent |
10% | 1,211 |
| Bianca Rose Garcia |
9.1% | 1,111 |
| Joe Sweeney |
7.9% | 958 |
| Anne Priestley |
7.9% | 964 |
| Patrick Bick |
7.1% | 860 |
| John Manning, Jr. | 6.3% | 772 |
| Michael Flathers | 5.5% | 665 |
| Patrick McDougall | 3.7% | 445 |
| Total Votes | 12,165 | |
2010
On November 2, 2010, Garcia won election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives.[19][20]
Garcia advanced past the September 14 primary election. She faced incumbent Carolyn Webber (D), incumbent David Bettencourt (R), incumbent Mary Griffin (R), incumbent Charles McMahon (R), Kevin Waterhouse (R), incumbent David Bates (R), incumbent Walter Kolodziej (R), incumbent Ronald Belanger (R), incumbent Robert Elliott (R), Daphne Kenyon (D), Ann Kern (D), Matthew Groch (D), Jane Lang (D), Jocelyn Leary (D), Christine White-Rogers (D), Lori Demaine (D), Neil Fallon (D), Ellie Rouillard (D), Thomas Witham (D), Henri Azibert (D), Matthew O'Shaughnessy (D), John Sytek (R), Richard Okerman (R), Gary Azarian (R) and Donna Mauro (R) in the November 2 general election.
| New Hampshire House of Representatives, Rockingham 4 Republican Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Dennis Fields (R)
|
2,536 | |||
| Mary Griffin (R)
|
2,364 | |||
| Charles McMahon (R)
|
2,129 | |||
| Marilinda Garcia (R)
|
1,991 | |||
| Kevin Waterhouse (R)
|
1,914 | |||
| John Sytek (R)
|
1,845 | |||
| David Bates (R)
|
1,835 | |||
| Walter Kolodziej (R)
|
1,776 | |||
| Ronald Belanger (R)
|
1,678 | |||
| Robert Elliott (R)
|
1,680 | |||
| Richard Okerman (R)
|
1.613 | |||
| Gary Azarian (R)
|
1,504 | |||
| Donna Mauro (R)
|
1.483 | |||
| Russell Ingram (R) | 1,460 | |||
| Bruce Breton (R) | 1,448 | |||
| Anthony DiFruscia (R) | 1,388 | |||
| Margaret Crisler (R) | 1,286 | |||
| Mark Samsel (R) | 1,246 | |||
| Bob Stanley (R) | 1,165 | |||
| John Manning (R) | 1,170 | |||
| Mark Larochelle (R) | 934 | |||
Special election 2009
On April 28, 2009, Garcia won election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Rockingham County District 4 by winning a special election against Sheila Murray (D). Garcia received 2,050 votes, while Murray only received 1,250.[21]
| New Hampshire House of Representatives, Rockingham District 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Marilinda Garcia (R)
|
2,050 | |||
| Sheila Murray (D) | 1,250 | |||
2008
Prior to her election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2009, Garcia ran for a seat in the Rockingham 4 District in the 2008 election. Rockingham 4 sent 13 candidates to the House, but Garcia finished with the fourteenth-highest vote total with 7,472 votes, failing to win a seat. The winning candidates from Rockingham 4 were David Bettencourt (R) with 10,390 votes, Mary Griffin (R) with 10,171 votes, Charles McMahon (R) with 9,297 votes, Anne Priestley (R) with 9,197 votes, Ronald Belanger (R) with 9,155 votes, Anthony DiFruscia (R) with 9,098 votes, Russell Ingram (R) with 8,367 votes, Robert Elliott (R) with 8,324 votes, Mark Pearson (R) with 8,293 votes, Margaret Crisler (R) with 7,886 votes, Walter Kolodziej (R) with 7,744 votes, David Bates (R) with 7,674 votes and Carolyn Webber (D) with 7,624 votes. The other losing candidates in the race were Jessica Garofalo (D) with 6,544 votes, Doris Flaherty (D) with 6,216 votes, Michael Caruso (D) with 6,204 votes, Carol Schneider (D) with 6,158 votes, Connor O'Brien (D) with 6,089 votes, Camron Iannaflo (D) with 6,041 votes, Fran Brennan (D) with 5,675 votes, Frank Kern (D) with 5,326 votes, Lori Demaine (D) with 5,249 votes, Gerald Capron (D) with 4,423 votes, Henri Azibert (D) with 4,254 votes and Neelima Gogumalla (D) with 4,160 votes.[22]
Garcia raised $610 for her campaign in 2008. Other candidates in the Rockingham 4 race (with data available) raised the following amounts: Griffin ($850), McMahon ($1,550), Priestley ($50), DiFruscia ($250), Pearson ($250), Kolodziej ($400), Bates ($2,450), Webber ($875) and Iannaflo ($525).[23]
| New Hampshire House of Representatives, Rockingham District 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| David Bettencourt (R)
|
10,390 | |||
| Mary Griffin (R)
|
10,171 | |||
| Charles McMahon (R)
|
9,297 | |||
| Anne Priestley (R)
|
9,197 | |||
| Ronald Belanger (R)
|
9,155 | |||
| Anthony DiFrascia (R)
|
9,098 | |||
| Russell Ingram (R)
|
8,367 | |||
| Robert Elliott (R)
|
8,324 | |||
| Mark Pearson (R)
|
8,293 | |||
| Margaret Crisler (R)
|
7,886 | |||
| Walter Kolodziej (R)
|
7,744 | |||
| David Bates (R)
|
7,674 | |||
| Carolyn Webber (D)
|
7,624 | |||
| Marilinda Garcia (R) | 7,472 | |||
| Jessica Garofalo (D) | 6,544 | |||
| Doris Flaherty (D) | 6,216 | |||
| Michael Caruso (D) | 6,204 | |||
| Carol Schneider (D) | 6,158 | |||
| Connor O'Brien (D) | 6,089 | |||
| Camron Iannaflo (D) | 6,041 | |||
| Fran Brennan (D) | 5,675 | |||
| Frank Kern (D) | 5,326 | |||
| Lori Demaine (D) | 5,249 | |||
| Gerald Capron (D) | 4,423 | |||
| Henri Azibert (D) | 4,254 | |||
| Neelima Gogumalla (D) | 4,160 | |||
Campaign finance summary
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Scorecards
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2014
In 2014, the 163rd New Hampshire General Court, second year, was in session from January 8 through June 13.
- Americans for Prosperity Foundation-New Hampshire- 2014 Legislative Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- New Hampshire National Federation of Independent Business: 2013-2014 Voting Record
- Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.
- Legislators are scored based on if they voted with the Republican Party.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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|
In 2013, the 163rd New Hampshire General Court, first year, was in session from January 2 to July 1.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the 162nd New Hampshire General Court, second year, was in session from January 4 through June 27.
|
2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the 162nd New Hampshire General Court, first year, was in session from January 5 through July 1.
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Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Marilinda + Garcia + New + Hampshire + Congress"
See also
- New Hampshire House of Representatives
- House Committees
- New Hampshire General Court
- New Hampshire state legislative districts
External links
- Official campaign website
- Profile from Open States
- Marilinda Garcia on Facebook
- Marilinda Garcia on Twitter
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Associated Press, "New Hampshire - 2014 Primary Results," accessed September 9, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Politico, "2014 New Hampshire House Election Results," accessed November 6, 2014
- ↑ marilindagarcia.com, "Meet Mari," accessed January 30, 2014
- ↑ patch.com, "Marilinda Garcia named RNC 'Rising Star'," August 15, 2013
- ↑ latino.foxnews.com, "Republican Party Highlights Diversity And Its Rising Stars At Annual Meeting In Boston," August 15, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography of Rep. Garcia," accessed July 29, 2014
- ↑ Marilinda Garcia for NH State Representative, "About Marilinda," accessed May 15, 2013
- ↑ marilindagarcia.com, "New Generation Principles," accessed January 30, 2014
- ↑ NRCC Young Guns, "List," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ National Republican Congressional Committee, "NRCC Announces Young Gun Candidates," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "Club for Growth Backs New Hampshire House Candidate," accessed June 30, 2014
- ↑ Fox News Latino, "Sen. Ted Cruz Confident About Chances Of New Hampshire Congressional Hopeful, Marilinda Garcia," accessed September 9, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Concord Monitor, "Republican congressional candidate Marilinda Garcia accused of plagiarizing parts of two speeches," accessed October 27, 2014
- ↑ New Hampshire Public Radio, "Garcia Slams Obamacare But Won't Say How She Is Covered," accessed September 15, 2014
- ↑ New Hampshire Union Leader, "Garcia campaign: Congressional candidate, an ACA opponent, not participating in health insurance exchange," accessed September 16, 2014
- ↑ YouTube, "'She's a child of the '90s, and she's running for Congress," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "2012 Primary Results," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "2012 General Election Results," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "2010 Primary Election Results," accessed May 16, 2014
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "2010 General Election Results," accessed May 16, 2014
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Official Results for 2009 Special Election for Rockingham 4 District," accessed June 10, 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "State General Election - November 4, 2008," accessed May 16, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Rockingham District 4 New Hampshire House of Representatives Candidate Funds, 2008," accessed June 10, 2010
