Home » Santa Clarita News » Politics » Santa Clarita Naval Officer Mike Garcia Announces Candidacy For Congress

Santa Clarita Naval Officer Mike Garcia Announces Candidacy For Congress

Mike Garcia, a former naval fighter pilot and Santa Clarita businessman, announced his candidacy for Congress against Congresswoman Katie Hill for the 25th Congressional District Wednesday.

Garcia, a first-generation American citizen, is a highly decorated United States Naval Officer who was  one of the first F/A-18E Super Hornet strike fighter pilots in the Navy. He flew over 30 combat missions during Operation Iraqi freedom over Baghdad, Fallujah, and Tikrit, according to officials.

“I have been at the edge where bullets fly and lives are lost,” Garcia said. “I believe America is the greatest country in the world. I’ve seen men and women lose their lives defending this country.”

Garcia graduated in the top three percent of his Annapolis class, receiving an M.A. in National Security Studies at Georgetown University.

His performance during Advanced Jet Pilot Training in the T-45 jet set records and earned him the opportunity to become of the first F/A-18E Super Hornet strike fighter pilots in the Navy, according to officials.

As an F/A-18E pilot Garcia was deployed several times on the USS Nimitz, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. He was lauded as one of the best leaders and one of the most naturally talented pilots in the Navy by his troops, his peers and his leadership, Garcia said.

Now, he is hoping to face Katie Hill in 2020 for the CA-25 Congressional seat, which includes the cities of Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Palmdale, Lancaster, and the northern part of the San Fernando Valley.

“I am disgusted that politicians in Washington are voting in lockstep with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to push a Socialist agenda that jeopardizes everything we’ve risked blood and treasure to defend,” Garcia said.

Former Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon endorsed Garcia for Congress.

“I’ve known Mike for 25 years,” McKeon said. “It was my honor to nominate him for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1994. He served our country on the battlefield and he’ll serve us again in Congress.”

Having represented the area for over two decades, former Congressman Elton Gallegly has also endorsed Mike Garcia for the 25th district.

“After careful review I feel that Mike Garcia is the best prepared candidate,” Gallegly said. “He is a fighter and a leader with a life experience that will serve the 25th Congressional district at a critical time in the history of our nation.”

Garcia is a native of Santa Clarita since 1983. His father legally immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1959. He is the husband to Rebecca Garcia, and the father of Preston, 12 and Jett, 2.

Ed. Note: Garcia is set to sit down with KHTS Wednesday afternoon. Stay tuned to hometown station.com for the full interview and story.


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Santa Clarita Naval Officer Mike Garcia Announces Candidacy For Congress

31 comments

  1. I’ve been on Mikes team from Day One and have been waiting for this (announcement) day for a long time. EXCITED! Mike Garcia is everything this 25th District needs. He doesn’t ride on dad and grandpa being a veteran; HE IS THE VETERAN.

  2. Count Me In! This Team will have to fight against the Big Influx of Liberal/Democrat $$$$$$ coming from everywhere especially from out of state as it happened in the last election. They will also need to connect with the voters and knock on doors like Hill’s campaign did (everyday).

  3. I saw on the Signal that he’s, “an executive at Raytheon”… You really think a guy who profits from war (and the defense department’s budget) will defeat Katie in a nationally targeted race? Seems to me he’ll just drive donations from across the country into Katie’s hands. I really hope we don’t blow this….

    • I disagree. This area, the Antelope Valley is home to Edward’s Airforce Base, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed’s Martin and NASA. This is a conservative area and in the past voted for the Republican. We must not allow the Socialist mentality to infest our country and Mike Garcia is the man for the job.

  4. He has my vote. We have to get our country back to the way it was, very patriotic and strong.

  5. I don’t know Mike at all.. but he 100% has my vote! I am not as hopeful that we will ever get ‘back’ our California.. but we need to take back Santa Clarita.

  6. He sounds pretty closed minded in his ridiculous statement that he fought to protect the country from popular ideas like saving the environment and making health care a right.
    “War” is a Soviet style make-work socialist enterprise. Please don’t claim it makes me safer. That old dog won’t hunt no more. We decided to go in another direction.

    • Was your comment based on fact or fiction? Closed minded? So based on an article written by a reporter we now know everything about this future candidate. How about asking him about the environment and healthcare issues before making assumptions.

      • There’s no website for his candidacy. I must go by what he announced above. His rhetoric suggests he will be a reliable mainstream Republican who denies the existential threat of climate change and believes the “free market” cares about helping the poor and disabled.
        Where are his positions listed? How do they differ from Rep Knight’s? From McKeon?

        We can’t afford to drag our feet any more. The GOP is severely out of touch with modern reality.

        • When the information becomes available you’ll have your chance to get answers to your questions. For some reason, I don’t think you care what his positions are you’ve already labeled him mainstream Republican in denial based on very little information. As an Independent voter both parties, in my humble opinion, are full of finger pointers and hot air. Get ready for the next Jubilee event and hold on for the ride. It won’t be pretty.

          • What made him a mainstream republican was his mainstream republican comment about AOC. No Liberal policy has been passed on the fed level in over two years but yet he needs to find an enemy. Instead of introducing something that will fix are current problems. So he is running to be a yes man for republicans it seems. How about a statement with a policy that will help the area he plans to represent first.

          • I am an NP voter as well. I voted against Rep Knight because of Net Neutrality and his religious bigotry.

          • And Climate Change of course.

          • Weird how all of these other comments from people saying, “You got my vote” and yet you don’t give them any response about not knowing his policies and where he stands on healthcare and the environment. But if someone here says anything to the contrary about him as a candidate you jump all over the guy. How about you either call it like it is across the board or drop the “independent voter” BS and keep towing the party line.

    • @Dave, With you all the way. Just because this gentleman decided to join the military and fight for the USA, does not make him a great leader. He will have to prove himself in the debates. If he is endorsed by losers like Knight and McKeon, then I would never vote for him. Also, by attacking AOC and using the ‘socialism’ buzzword in the above statement, he basically showed me he is just like every other GOP candidate. Don’t be ‘that’ guy.

  7. Bravo Zulu Mike! You got my vote too.

  8. Katie Hill still has my vote in 2020. It figures that SCV is all gaga over Garcia, being so repressive as it is here. Don’t forget that Antelope Valley voted heavily for Hill and us millennials are out in force in 2020 as we were in 2018.

  9. How long was he in the Navy? Not including academy time. What is he a businessman of? Soundings interesting but 60 missions could be two days, or it could have been a prolonged continuous mission. I would like to see a candidate who’s policy is not to appose whoever the other person’s policies are but has detailed goals and policies of their own. I hope Mike has those.
    VR I’m a SCV resident 1983-1994 US Navy 1994-2017, and SCV resident 2017- current.

  10. Mike, while I will always be grateful for our military and the people who have chosen to put their lives on the line for my freedom and safety, nothing and no one is perfect. I will listen to your reasons to put another Republican in Congress but u have an uphill climb given your choice of parties. After what this sitting President has shown, and his ability to lie about facts. I will stand behind Katie Hill stronger than ever. Please use your strength and mind for good. Tax payer and long time Santa Clarita resident.

  11. I like what I read about Mr. Garcia and applaud his outstanding accomplishments while serving our great country. I am also a first generation American of Hispanic ancestry and am very interested in his views on ILLEGAL immigration but anything is better than the open borders Democrats currently not “representing us” at all in Congress and elsewhere.

  12. I saw on the Signal that he’s, “an executive at Raytheon”… Do you really think a guy who profits from war (and the defense department’s budget) will defeat Katie Hill in a nationally targeted race? Seems to me he’ll just drive donations from across the country into Katie’s hands. I really hope we don’t blow this….

  13. I’ve met Mike Garcia more than once as I interviewed him for his Veterans Page right here on KHTS Hometown Station & I can tell that you he is the real deal. He’s running for Congress out of his sense of duty to our great country. He didn’t have to attend Annapolis; he didn’t have to earn his Masters at Georgetown; he didn’t have to train to fly jet fighters & bomb Saddam Hussein’s hometown.

    Mike holds a nice paying executive position with Raytheon while still supporting America’s defense; he doesn’t have to give up his lucrative position but he does it out of his strong sense of duty.

    This Veteran stands with Mike!

    So. For all you naysayers, what have you done for our Country?

  14. maybe you can arrange to come to talk to the tea party in Little Rock??
    we need to elect a strong candidate to represent us.

    no more gerrymandering!!

  15. Yes!!! Mike Garcia is going to take back 25th district! The 25th district needs a leader like Mike Garcia, who has family values and a love for his community.

  16. I disagree. This area, the Antelope Valley is home to Edward’s Airforce Base, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed’s Martin and NASA. This is a conservative area and in the past voted for the Republican. We must not allow the Socialist mentality to infest our country and Mike Garcia is the man for the job.

  17. The only candidate for the 25th District. The aerospace valley needs Mike’s expertise. A true and proven leader, Mike has my 100% support.

  18. Why does the fact that his father migrated to the U.S. “legally” have to be explicitly pointed out? I mean, is the last name Garcia going to scare people away? It’ almost like saying yeah, he’s got a Spanish last name but its ok he’s one of us. So annoying and borderline racist. Just focus on the man and what he is about.
    News flash – there are an awful lot of people with Spanish last names who are living in America legally.

  19. Mike Garcia, a former naval fighter pilot and Santa Clarita businessman, announced his candidacy for Congress against Congresswoman Katie Hill for the h Congressional District Wednesday.

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About Michael Brown

Michael Brown has lived in Santa Clarita his whole life. Graduating from Saugus High School in 2016, he continued to stay local by attending The Master’s University, where he achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. Michael joined KHTS in January of 2018 as a news intern, and has since gone on to become the News Director for the KHTS Newsroom. Since joining KHTS, Michael has covered many breaking news stories (both on scene and on air), interviewed dozens of prominent state and federal political figures, and interacted with hundreds of residents from Santa Clarita. When he is not working, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, as well as reading any comic book he can get his hands on.