Robert Garcia
Cristina Garcia

The 2022 election features a rare, intra-party Congressional race between two Democrats who are both 44, Latino and have compelling stories of rising through the ranks from humble beginnings.

But voters will have a very distinct choice in the newly drawn 42nd Congressional District that spans most of Long Beach and Southeast Los Angeles: Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, the more centrist establishment pick who has carefully crafted his image; and Cristina Garcia, a prolific legislator on women’s and environmental issues whose political scars are much more visible.

Read our in-depth profile on each candidate by clicking their name above.

By Jason Ruiz and Anthony Pignataro

Jason Ruiz covers City Hall and politics for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @JasonRuiz_LB on Twitter.

Anthony Pignataro is an investigative reporter and editor for the Long Beach Post. He has close to three decades of experience in journalism leading numerous investigations and long-form journalism projects for the OC Weekly and other publications. He joined the Post in May 2021.