25 Facts About Leroy Garcia

Leroy Garcia served as the president of the state senate from 2019 until his 2022 resignation to join the Department of Defense and previously served as the Minority Leader from 2018 to 2019.

Leroy Garcia served in the United States Marine Corps from 2001 to 2007 and fought in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Leroy Garcia began his involvement in politics with his election to the city council in Pueblo.

Leroy Garcia served a term in the state house before being elected to the state senate.

Leroy Garcia was selected to serve as the assistant minority leader before switching positions with Minority Leader Lucia Guzman and was later selected to serve as president of the state senate.

Leroy Garcia served in the United States Marine Corps from 2001 to 2007 and was involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Leroy Garcia graduated with a degree in emergency medical services from Pueblo Community College, a bachelor's degree in management from the University of Phoenix, and a master's degree in organizational management from Ashford University.

Leroy Garcia married Michelle, who was later appointed to serve on the Colorado Commission on Judicial Performance by Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst in 2016.

Leroy Garcia won the Democratic nomination for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 46th district without opposition and defeated Republican nominee Jerry Denney in the 2012 election.

Leroy Garcia defeated Libertarian nominee John Pickerill in the 2018 election.

Leroy Garcia considered running for a seat in the United States House of Representatives from the 3rd congressional district against incumbent Republican Representative Scott Tipton in the 2020 election.

Leroy Garcia served on the Appropriations, and Agriculture, Natural Resources and Energy committees during his tenure in the Colorado Senate.

Leroy Garcia is a member of the Democratic Latino Caucus.

Leroy Garcia served as acting governor in 2019, while Governor Polis was outside of Colorado due to a meeting of the National Governors Association and Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera was in Pennsylvania.

Leroy Garcia was selected to serve as the assistant minority leader on November 10,2016.

Leroy Garcia was selected to serve as president of the state senate on November 8,2018, becoming the first Hispanic person to hold the position, and reelected to the position in 2020.

Leroy Garcia announced on February 3,2022, that he would resign from the state senate, with his resignation taking effect on February 23, to become special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Leroy Garcia was appointed to serve on the Latino Leadership Committee for Biden's presidential campaign.

In 2021, Leroy Garcia was selected to replace Mitzi Johnson, the former Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, as the immediate past president of the National Conference of State Legislatures as Johnson had lost reelection in the 2020 election.

Alexander Armijo won $25,000 in a lawsuit against Leroy Garcia stating that Leroy Garcia had violated his First Amendment rights by blocking him on Facebook.

Leroy Garcia was one of four Democrats to sponsor legislation to repeal the limit on high-capacity ammunition magazine sizes in 2015.

Leroy Garcia opposed Trump's attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 United States census, stating that it would lead to an inaccurate census that would reduce federal funding for Colorado and could prevent the state from gaining a congressional district.

Leroy Garcia supported the reopening of the Centennial Correctional Facility as it would cost less than building a new prison.

Leroy Garcia sponsored legislation to create Fishers Peak State Park in 2020.

Leroy Garcia received an A rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.