Garcia Deploys Cash, Contacts, Comic Relief to Help New Members

Robert Garcia only recently arrived in Washington. But he’s already playing tour guide, social director and provocative message maker – even lobbing the occasional drag queen meme – as he seeks to rally a large and diverse House Democratic freshman class.

First-term Democrats elected Garcia as their class president, a role that granted the former Long Beach, Calif. mayor a coveted seat at caucus leadership conversations.

Between visits to the Library of Congress and private sessions with senior administration officials, Garcia is leveraging a little-known  position in House leadership that could help the newest members of Congress win re-election races to a body that traditionally defers to more senior members.

“As freshman class president and as a freshman class, our contribution to winning the majority back is ensuring that the 34 freshmen get re-elected,” Garcia said in an interview.

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