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Debbie Jessika Mucarsel-Powell ( MOO-kar-sell; born January 18, 1971) is an American politician and academic administrator who served as a U.S. representative for Florida's 26th congressional district from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, her district covered the southern part of Miami-Dade County, including Homestead, as well as the Florida Keys. Mucarsel-Powell was the first Ecuadorian American and first South American-born immigrant to serve as a member of the U.S. Congress. Murcarsel-Powell was defeated in her 2020 re-election bid by Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Giménez. On August 22, 2023, Mucarsel-Powell announced she would be running in the 2024 United States Senate election in Florida against incumbent Republican Rick Scott. Early life and education Mucarsel-Powell was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and raised in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Imelda Gil and Guido Mucarsel Yunes. Mucarsel-Powell immigrated to the United States when she was 14 years old with her mother and three older sisters. She began working in a doughnut shop and continued to work to help support her family, who shared a one bedroom apartment. 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. Earlier career Mucarsel-Powell worked for non-profits including the Hope Center, Zoo Miami Foundation, and the Coral Restoration Foundation. From 2003 to 2007, she served as the director of development at Florida International University (FIU). She was the associate vice president for advancement at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine from 2007 to 2011. Mucarsel-Powell became an associate dean at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. 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. U.S. House of Representatives Elections 2018 In August 2017, Mucarsel-Powell announced she would challenge Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo in Florida's 26th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 elections. She defeated veteran Demetries Grimes in the Democratic Party primary election, receiving 63.5% of the vote. In the November 6 general election, Mucarsel-Powell defeated Curbelo, receiving 50.9% of the vote, becoming the first Ecuadorian-born person to be elected to the United States Congress and the first woman to represent Florida's 26th congressional district. 2020 Mucarsel-Powell was defeated for re-election by the Republican nominee, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Giménez. Tenure On December 18, 2019, Mucarsel-Powell voted to impeach President Donald Trump. Committee assignments Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Source: Clerk of the House of Representatives Caucus memberships Congressional Animal Protection Caucus Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues Congressional Hispanic Caucus Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus Congressional Progressive Caucus New Democrat Coalition Post-congressional career In April 2021, Mucarsel-Powell joined Giffords as a senior adviser, intending to lobby the U.S. Senate to pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. Electoral history Personal life Mucarsel-Powell is of Ecuadorian and Lebanese ancestry and is a Roman Catholic. When she was 24 years old, her father was killed outside of his home in Ecuador by a gunman. She and her husband, Robert Powell, have three children. See also List of Arab and Middle Eastern Americans in the United States Congress List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress Women in the United States House of Representatives References External links Campaign site Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress Profile at Vote Smart Appearances on C-SPAN. Discover the Debbie Herbert popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Debbie Herbert books.