GOP challenger to Cantwell will focus on fentanyl crisis, crime, economy & healthcare
Aug. 6, 2024 – Dr Raul Garcia tonight advanced to the general election in Washington’s U.S. Senate race. Garcia is challenging incumbent Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, who has held the seat since 2001.
“As a child growing up in Cuba, I could only dream of one day living in America, a place I loved before I ever stepped foot on it,” said Garcia, who fled communist Cuba with his mother at age 11. “To not only achieve the American dream by becoming a citizen, and building a family and a career, but also now to be a candidate for United States Senate, is something that could only happen in this great country.”
Garcia, who has practiced medicine for 26 years, is an emergency room doctor and Medical Director at Astria Toppenish Hospital. He grew up in Miami, Florida, after he and his mother gained political asylum in the U.S.
Garcia said that while he respects Cantwell’s many years in office, he believes Washington needs new leadership.
“We are facing so many challenges in our state,” he said. “Fentanyl is taking thousands of lives every year. Crime is rising to dangerous levels. Our economy is weak and the cost of living is making basic expenses like food, housing and transportation almost impossible to bear. Women in many parts of Washington have been losing local access to OB-GYN care for well over a decade.
“Senator Cantwell, quite frankly, is not doing what she should to solve these problems for the people of Washington. She is not showing up in communities to listen to people and understand their concerns. When she does act, it’s in half-measures, with legislation that is guaranteed to fail, or in an election-year ploy to make it look like she’s doing something. In short, she has lost touch with the people she is supposed to represent.
“I’m running because I see that the people of Washington have been let down by our leaders. This country has given me so much, and now I want to give back by serving my state and doing what needs to be done to get us on the right track. As a doctor, I’ve devoted my career to helping people in need, no matter who they are. I will take that same commitment to the U.S. Senate and work across party lines to give us a government of solutions.”
Garcia, called a “sensible moderate” by the Seattle Times editorial board, is spending the bulk of his campaign time in western Washington, particularly the voter-rich Puget Sound. He said he is connecting with swing independents and even Democrats by focusing on issues that resonate with all voters.