Texas Democrat congressional candidate Garcia suspended twice over stolen gun and insubordination

Clear Facts

• Johnny Garcia, Democrat candidate for Texas’ 35th District, received two unpaid suspensions while serving with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
• The first suspension occurred in 2009 for bringing a cell phone into a secure jail area despite repeated warnings.
• The second suspension came in 2020 after Garcia left his firearm, magazines, and badge in an unsecured vehicle where they were stolen.

Johnny Garcia, Democrat candidate for Texas’ newly redrawn 35th congressional district, faces renewed questions over his law enforcement record after public records revealed two unpaid suspensions from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

The first suspension came in 2009 when Garcia carried a cellular device into a secured jail area after being told multiple times not to do so.

“You have been instructed multiple times not to bring cellular phones or electronic equipment into the secured area and that doing so is a violation of policy,” the suspension notice stated. “You stated you had been informed several times during Roll Call that cellular phones are not permitted in the secured area.”

“You are hereby notified that the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department is suspending you without pay for a total of three days… for insubordination [and] conduct or action that would seriously impair job effectiveness.”

The second suspension occurred in 2020 when Garcia left his Glock firearm, four magazines, and badge in his personal vehicle, where the items were later stolen.

“Your equipment was not properly secured and was kept temporarily in your vehicle against Bexar County Sheriff’s policy,” a disciplinary report read. “This negligent behavior has seriously impaired your job effectiveness and is a clear violation of the policies and procedures of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.”

Garcia received a five-day unpaid suspension for the 2020 incident. The stolen firearm was eventually recovered after he reported it missing.

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office confirmed both suspensions but stated that Garcia faced no other disciplinary actions during his service.

“The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office handles all policy violations in strict accordance with Civil Service Commission guidelines,” Deputy Noel Diaz said in a statement. “Deputy Johnny Garcia served a 3-day unpaid suspension for bringing an electronic device into a secure facility, and a 5-day unpaid suspension for failing to properly secure county issued equipment.”

Garcia is running against Republican candidate Carlos De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran, in a district redrawn to favor Republicans after Democrat Rep. Greg Casar vacated the seat to run in a neighboring district.

Garcia has positioned his campaign around his nearly two decades of law enforcement experience, listing border security as a top priority on his website while criticizing the previous administration’s border policies.

When asked about the suspensions, Garcia’s campaign dismissed them as politicized attacks and pointed to his record protecting the community.

“As a sheriff’s deputy, I’ve spent nearly two decades putting my own safety on the line to protect my community to keep violent criminals off our streets,” Garcia said in a statement. “These politicized claims are Republicans’ desperate attempts to distract from the fact that tariffs and his war in Iran have made everything more expensive for working families.”

Garcia heads to the general election on Nov. 3 after winning his party’s primary in May.

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