Andrea Garcia, a 47-year-old Riverside attorney, is running for Riverside County Superior Court Judge (Hopp Seat) in the Nov. 3 general election. She faces Michelle Paradise in the nonpartisan race.
Asked why she is running, Garcia said in our candidate questionnaire: "I am running for judge because independent courts are a cornerstone of democracy and must remain free of propaganda. I will protect the courts from encroachment by the other branches of government and apply the law equally without favor to one party over another."
Candidate information
Age: 47
Residence: Riverside, California
Family: Garcia said in our questionnaire: "I am a wife and a mother. I live in Riverside, where I am choosing to raise my family. I am a third-generation Mexican American, raised in Kansas City's historic Mexican neighborhood, the Westside."
Education: Garcia said in our questionnaire: "I received my Juris Doctor from De Paul College of Law in Chicago with a certificate in International Law. I obtained my degree in Political Science with a minor in French from the University of Missouri-Columbia … I attended an all girls college preparatory high school in Kansas City called Notre Dame de Sion."
Languages: Garcia speaks English, Spanish and French, according to her Avvo profile.
Bar status: Garcia was admitted to the California State Bar in 2007 and is active with no misconduct found, according to Avvo.
Party affiliation: Garcia said in our questionnaire: "This is a nonpartisan race."
Previous elected or appointed office: None, according to our questionnaire.
Experience and public service
Garcia said in our questionnaire: "I am an experienced immigration trial attorney and current Deputy Public Defender with nearly 20 years representing marginalized communities. My first decade was spent in private practice, fighting for due process for families seeking the American dream. I conducted hundreds of immigration trials and appeals to keep families together. I owned a small law firm."
She continued: "Serving as an immigration expert in both of the Inland Empire's Public Defender offices, I created Riverside County's first immigration unit, closing the gap in effective representation for foreign-born clients …"
Asked about accomplishments, Garcia said: "I helped shape state laws on immigration: Penal Code section 372.5 (2022), an alternative plea that preserves defenses to deportation, and SB 873 (2026), which bars ICE arrests in and near state courts to protect due process."
On the issues
Judicial philosophy: Garcia told the Press Enterprise that she believes impartial courts are fundamental to democracy and that judges should impartially interpret and apply laws by reviewing each argument, reading relevant statutes, examining legislative intent and relying on precedent. She said judges do not create new laws and that responsibility rests with the people and their elected representatives.
What sets her apart: Garcia said in our questionnaire: "I bring judicial temperament, experience and support from all sides of the courtroom. I'm endorsed by 48 Superior Court judicial officers, which is more than my opponent. My primary opponent endorsed me … As the only full time working attorney practicing law, I'm in court routinely, so my knowledge is current."
Best advice: Garcia said in our questionnaire: "'Eighty percent of the work is showing up.' To me, that means keeping an open mind, and staying resilient, treating setbacks as lessons. On the bench, showing up means encouraging parties to work together toward mutually beneficial resolutions while having the courage to make tough decisions …"
Endorsements
Garcia's campaign website lists endorsements from Raul Ruiz and Mark Takano, both of the U.S. Congress, state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson, former Riverside County Superior Court Presiding Judge John W. Vineyard and Jennifer Loflin, Garcia's former primary opponent.
