Deborah Mucarsel-Powell (/ˈmuːkɑːrsɛl/ MOO-kar-sell; born January 18, 1971)[1] is an American politician and academic administrator who served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 26th congressional district from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented a district in the southern Miami-Dade County, including Homestead and the Florida Keys.
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 26th district | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Carlos Curbelo |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Giménez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Deborah Mucarsel Gil January 18, 1971 Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Robert Powell |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | |
| Website | Campaign website |
Mucarsel-Powell was the first Ecuadorian-American and first South American-born immigrant to serve as a member of the U.S. Congress. She was defeated in her 2020 reelection bid by Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Giménez. As a congresswoman, Mucarsel-Powell voiced support for ousting president Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and was part of a delegation that met with opposition leader Juan Guaidó when he visited the United States.
Before entering politics, Mucarsel-Powell worked for various nonprofits, including the Hope Center, Zoo Miami Foundation, and the Coral Restoration Foundation. She was the associate vice president for advancement and later an associate dean at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
In August 2023, Mucarsel-Powell announced she was running for the United States Senate in 2024 against incumbent Republican Rick Scott.[2] She won the Democratic nomination for the seat on August 20, 2024, but lost in a landslide to Scott in the general election.
Early life and education
editMucarsel-Powell was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and raised in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Imelda Gil and Guido Mucarsel Yunes. After her parents' divorce, she immigrated to the U.S. at age 14 with her mother and three sisters. She began working in a doughnut shop and continued to work to help support her family, who shared a one-bedroom apartment.[3] In 1995, her father was shot to death outside of his home in Ecuador.[4]
Mucarsel-Powell attended Pomona Catholic High School in Pomona, California, graduating in 1988. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Pitzer College in 1992 and a Master of Arts in international political economy from Claremont Graduate University in 1996.[5]
Early career
editMucarsel-Powell worked for nonprofits, including the Hope Center, Zoo Miami Foundation, and the Coral Restoration Foundation. She worked in fundraising for Florida International University (FIU) and was the associate vice president for advancement at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.[6][7][8]
Mucarsel-Powell volunteered for the presidential campaigns of John Kerry and Barack Obama. In 2016, she ran unsuccessfully against Anitere Flores for the Florida Senate.[9]
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit2018
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In August 2017, Mucarsel-Powell announced she would challenge Republican Representative Carlos Curbelo in Florida's 26th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 elections.[10] She defeated Demetries Grimes in the Democratic Party primary election with 63.5% of the vote.[11]
In the November 6 general election, Mucarsel-Powell defeated Curbelo with 50.9% of the vote,[12] becoming the first Ecuadorian-born person to be elected to Congress and the first woman to represent Florida's 26th congressional district.[3][13]
2020
editIn the prelude to the 2020 elections, Mucarsel-Powell's seat was included as a target of the National Republican Congressional Committee.[14] Her Republican opponent, Carlos A. Giménez, was then the mayor of Miami-Dade County, and was endorsed by President Donald Trump. Mucarsel-Powell lost to Giménez in an upset, with 48.6% of the vote to Giménez's 51.3%.[15]
Tenure
edit
Within the first month of her tenure, Mucarsel-Powell introduced a bill to provide the people of Venezuela with humanitarian aid amid the ongoing socioeconomic crisis, which had worsened with the presidential crisis beginning in January 2019. She voiced support for ousting president Nicolás Maduro and recognizing the transitional government led by assembly speaker Juan Guaidó.[16] Mucarsel-Powell was among a delegation of House Democrats that met with Guaidó when he visited the U.S. in February 2020.[17]
On December 18, 2019, Mucarsel-Powell voted to impeach President Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.[18]
Caucus memberships
editPost-congressional career
editIn April 2021, Mucarsel-Powell joined Giffords as a senior adviser, intending to lobby the U.S. Senate to pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act.[25]
2024 U.S. Senate campaign
editMucarsel-Powell announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate in August 2023, challenging incumbent Republican Rick Scott.[2] She won the Democratic primary with minor opposition on August 20, 2024, becoming the first Latina woman to be nominated for a Senate seat in Florida. Her campaign had raised more than $12 million by the day of the primary.[26]
Personal life
editMucarsel-Powell is of Ecuadorian and Lebanese ancestry and is a Roman Catholic.[27][28] When she was 24 years old, a gunman killed her father outside his home in Ecuador.[29][30] She and her husband, Robert Powell, have three children.[31]
Electoral history
edit2016
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Anitere Flores (incumbent) | 97,343 | 54.24 | |
| Democratic | Debbie Mucarsel-Powell | 82,117 | 45.76 | |
| Total votes | 179,460 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2018
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Debbie Mucarsel-Powell | 20,997 | 63.5 | |
| Democratic | Demetries Grimes | 12,095 | 36.5 | |
| Total votes | 33,092 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Debbie Mucarsel-Powell | 119,797 | 50.9 | |
| Republican | Carlos Curbelo (incumbent) | 115,678 | 49.1 | |
| Total votes | 235,475 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
2020
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Carlos A. Giménez | 177,211 | 51.3 | |
| Democratic | Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (incumbent) | 165,377 | 48.6 | |
| Total votes | 342,588 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
2024
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Debbie Mucarsel-Powell | 747,397 | 68.5% | |
| Democratic | Stanley Campbell | 213,777 | 19.6% | |
| Democratic | Brian Rush | 73,013 | 6.7% | |
| Democratic | Rod Joseph | 56,961 | 5.2% | |
| Total votes | 1,091,148 | 100.0% | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Florida New Members 2019, The Hill
- ^ a b Wang, Amy; Sotomayer, Mariana; Leigh Ann, Caldwell. "Former Democratic congresswoman to challenge Rick Scott for Florida Senate seat". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, la primera ecuatoriana elegida al Congreso de EEUU". La República EC (in Spanish). November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Foran, Clare (February 4, 2019). "Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is an immigrant who lost her father to gun violence. Now she's in Congress". CNN. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Debbie Mucarsel-Powell". Official Congressional Directory. July 22, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ https://caplinnews.fiu.edu/senate-race-debbie-mucarsel-powell-immigration/
- ^ "Carlos Curbelo Gets Democratic Challenger Who Emigrated from Ecuador". Roll Call. August 2, 2017. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- ^ "Two Latinos, Carlos Curbelo and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell battle for Florida congressional seat". NBC News. October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- ^ Clark, Lesley (October 5, 2018). "Democratic activist wants to be part of Florida's blue wave | McClatchy Washington Bureau". McClatchyDC. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- ^ "Curbelo draws Democratic challenger in swing Florida district". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Greenwood, Max (August 28, 2018). "Former educator secures Democratic nod to challenge Curbelo in Florida". The Hill. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "Florida Election Results: 26th House District". Retrieved November 7, 2018.
- ^ Killion, Ann. "The Latest: Nelson campaign supporting recount 'to win'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ "NRCC Announces 55 Offensive Targets for the 2020 Cycle". NRCC. February 8, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ Dixon, Matt (November 4, 2020). "Republican Gimenez unseats Democrat Mucarsel-Powell in Florida House race". Politico. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ Daugherty, Alex (February 15, 2019). "Debbie Mucarsel-Powell can't get GOP support for a Venezuela humanitarian aid plan". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
- ^ "Florida Democrats Welcome Venezuelan Interim President Guaiduó to Florida and Reiterate their Support for Democracy in Venezuela". floridadems.org. Florida Democratic Party. February 1, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
- ^ "WHIP COUNT: Here's which members of the House voted for and against impeaching Trump". Business Insider.
- ^ "Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives - Official Alphabetical List". clerk.house.gov. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "The Women's Caucus". Women's Congressional Policy Institute. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Members". LGBT Equality Caucus. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- ^ "Congressional Progressive Caucus : Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Members". New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Latina ex-Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell takes new role on personal mission: Gun control". NBC News. April 6, 2021.
- ^ Hernandez, Taylor (August 21, 2024). "Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to face Rick Scott after decisive primary victory". WPBF. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
- ^ "Religious affiliation of members of 117th Congress" (PDF). PEW Research Center. January 24, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Gamboa, Suzanne (November 7, 2018). "Latino, minority voters helped drive Democrats' gains in U.S. House, experts say". NBC News. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ Mucha, Sarah (March 22, 2018). "Dem candidate recounts her history with gun violence in new ad to air during gun control march". CNN. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- ^ Foran, Clare (February 4, 2019). "Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is an immigrant who lost her father to gun violence. Now she's in Congress". CNN.
- ^ "Meet Debbie". Debbie Mucarsel Powell. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
External links
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