Joe Garcia to run for Congress again

By Lesley Clark

WASHINGTON — Former Miami-Dade Democratic party chief Joe Garcia resigned Tuesday from the Obama administration to jump into a hotly contested race for a congressional seat in Miami.

Garcia, who landed a job at the Energy Department after coming within six points of ousting Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart in 2008, will announce Wednesday that he is making a second run for the seat. Diaz-Balart is vacating the seat in a bid for his retiring brother’s district. “This is a tough time. I know how battered the economy is and I know that the people of South Florida need a voice, they need a voice for their future,” Garcia said Tuesday.

The race for a rare open seat promises to be among the most closely watched in the country. Miami Republican state Rep. David Rivera, who announced his candidacy last month, said last week he’s raised $700,000 and will be the beneficiary of a fundraiser April 26 hosted by top Republicans, including House Republican leader John Boehner.

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