Feb 7, 2008 8:26 pm US/Eastern
Garcia Challenges Diaz-Balart For 25th District
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Joe Garcia, Chairman of the Miami Dade Democratic Party, plans to challenge U.S. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart for his seat in Congress.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI/CBS
Joe Garcia, the chairman of Miami Dade's Democratic Party, plans to take on a five year U.S. Representative for his seat in Congress.
"This district faces severe economic problems. The prices of homes have never been higher, in the capacity of middle class families to afford them," Garcia said in a news conference Thursday." Insurance rates are out of wack while our Congress rules against catastrophic funding for insurance."
Garcia was also the former director of the Cuban American National Foundation. He's running against Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart for the 25th District, which encompasses parts of west Miami Dade County and most of Collier County.
"It's not about Democrat or Republican, it's not about red or blue, right or left. It's about doing the right thing," said Garcia
Diaz Balart, who ran unopposed in 2004, said he welcomed the challenge. He transmitted a message via satellite to local media, emphasizing that he would continue to focus his campaign on cutting taxes and allocating federal funding for the community.
Earlier this month Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, another Democrat, announced his plans to challenge longtime U.S. congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who is Mario's brother, for his seat in Congress. Díaz-Balart reportedly told both the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald that Martinez's challenge was part of a ploy by Castro sympathizers to lift or weaken the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.
Political observers say Garcia may have a tougher time than Martinez in his challenge of a Diaz- Balart brother because he lacks name recognition and the political base that Martinez built as mayor. But the Democrat's Congressional Campaign Committee counters Garcia may have a fighting chance at a win this presidential election year because of the predicted high turnout at the polls this November.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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