Johnny Garcia, a candidate for Congress in Texas’ newly redrawn 35th District, faced a pair of suspensions for “job performance,” “insubordination” and “conduct or action that would seriously impair job effectiveness” during his time with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, records show.
In the first suspension in 2009, Garcia brought a cellular device into a secure area against repeated instruction. The second, in 2020, arose when Garcia left a firearm in an unsecured location, where it was later stolen.
In both cases, Garcia was suspended without pay.
The suspensions, discovered through a public records request, put new scrutiny on a law enforcement career that Garcia has made a central part of his campaign as he wages a race against Republican candidate Carlos De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran. The race, set to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, is expected to be significantly more competitive in the upcoming midterms than in years past.
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The first suspension came in 2009 when Garcia carried his cell phone into a secured jail area, something he had been told repeatedly not to do.
“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. You stated you had been informed several times during Roll Call that cellular phones are not permitted in the secured area,” a notice of suspension reads.
“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, according to the disciplinary record, came in 2020 when Garcia left his Glock firearm, four magazines and his badge in his car — items that were later stolen.
“Your equipment was not properly secured and was kept temporarily in your vehicle against Bexar County Sheriff’s policy. 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,” a report read.
Garcia received a five-day suspension without pay, for “job performance,” according to the county’s records. The firearm was eventually recovered after Garcia reported it was missing.
The Sheriff’s Office did not address questions about additional context on the suspensions, how frequently such suspensions are imposed and what other kinds of discipline the office would consider ahead of a suspension. Instead, it confirmed that Garcia had not faced any other forms of discipline as a result of the two incidents.
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“The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office handles all policy violations in strict accordance with Civil Service Commission guidelines. 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. The disciplinary actions were the agency’s final decision of the incidents,” Deputy Noel Diaz said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“All deputies are required to maintain complete knowledge of the Civil Service Commission policies. Disciplinary actions are handled independently on single incidents,” she added.
Garcia, who has not held elected office before, faces considerably steeper election odds than other Democrats who have run in Texas’ 35th District.
Casar, a progressive, last won re-election in the old district through a 67.4% to 32.6% victory in 2024. But Republicans targeted that electoral advantage through redistricting changes passed last year, prompting Casar to seek re-election in the state’s neighboring 37th district.
“Trump and Abbott just rammed through maps designed to kick people like me out of office. They don’t want me in Congress because they don’t want us to be heard. But we’re not going anywhere,” Casar said in a post explaining his move.
To overcome that shift in political advantage, Garcia has brought a centrist message to voters, highlighting his service with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, a post he joined at the age of 21. He would go on to work with the county jail and then as a hostage negotiator.
On his website, Garcia lists border security as a top priority alongside items like affordability and protecting government programs like Social Security. He said he had faced border weakness firsthand, stating that he had seen “how Biden failed us on the border.”
“An old school Democrat … he believes true public safety means more than tough talk,” his website states.
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When asked about the two suspensions, Garcia’s campaign pointed back at his record with safety as a law enforcement officer.
“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. 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 said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Having cleared his party’s primary in in May, Garcia heads to the state’s general election on Nov. 3.