Biden district Republican says this critical issue will define 2024 elections
Rep. Mike Garcia spoke with Fox News Digital about the differences between how Republicans and Democrats approach law enforcement issues and security.
A House Republican who represents a district President Biden won by more than six points is arguing "security" will be the deciding factor in races like his across the country come November.
"It’s an irrational thing for a voter not to want security," Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital in an interview.
Garcia is the only Republican in the House of Representatives who represents part of the Los Angeles metro area. He’s also one of 17 House GOP lawmakers in districts Biden won in 2020 and is a prime target for Democrats in trying to retake the House.
He argued that security in all forms — foreign, domestic and economic — will be what leads voters to their decisions in November.
Garcia represents California’s 27th Congressional District, including parts of northern Los Angeles County, like Santa Clarita and part of the San Fernando Valley. It’s also a majority nonwhite district, with Hispanic and Latino Americans making up the largest share of the population.
"To me, the word security is what this election is going to be about. And with that, you get strength, right? I know in my district, a third are Hispanics. I would say 75% of them are registered as Democrats, but they don't like weakness. They don't like the fact that the United States looks weak on the global stage," Garcia said.
BIDEN FACING UPHILL BATTLE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES AS DOWN-BALLOT DEMS LEAD: POLL
"They don't like the fact that President Biden — it looks like he doesn't know what he's doing relative to his counterparts in Russia and China. They value strength and, so, I think valuing law enforcement is a big deal, and valuing border security and economic security, stopping the out-of-control spending, lowering taxes, valuing neighborhood security by getting more cops on the street. … These are very … common denominator issues."
In Los Angeles, in particular, he said constituents are tired of progressive justice officials enacting policies they see as soft on crime and left-wing calls to defund the police.
"We're highlighting the difference between Republican and Democrat elected officials, not voters. Because when you talk to the average Democrat voter in the streets — especially in my district, we have one of the highest density populations in terms of current and retired law enforcement, firefighters, first responders — a lot of those folks are Democrats, actually," Garcia said.
"The Democrat voters do actually value security. And they see this defund the police movement as a product of a very far left faction of the Democrat Party. They don't appreciate it."
TRUMP VEEPSTAKES: THE PROS AND CONS OF SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM
He noted that Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office was killed in his district in an apparent ambush late last year while the officer sat in his patrol car. Garcia characterized it as a tragic manifestation of the wider issues with law enforcement in Los Angeles County.
"They've got leadership, laws and crazies around them that are literally killing them – them being the cops," Garcia said. "They aren't getting reinforcements. They're working as many overtime hours as they are … regular hours. And, so, when you see that and when you see elected officials who are supposed to be protecting you, that are supposed to be on your side … most of these elected officials bent the knee to this defund the police movement out of fear of the protesters."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for comment but did not hear back at press time.