Mrs. Garcia said she was “honored to fill her husband’s seat” and that Jorge “loved serving”, and that she would “do her best to represent the constituents” of LD 27.

Senator Garcia died on October 15, 2010 from a heart attack at age 57 (click here for my blog in memory of Jorge). He was running for one of 2 seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission and his name remains on today’s ballot.

Other nominees submitted by the 39 District 27 precinct committeepersons were two House primary candidates- High School math teacher Bob Gilby (husband of Donna Branch-Gilby who challenged Supervisor Sharon Bronson in the September, 2008 primary) and Sami Hamed, an aide to Congressman Raul Grijalva. Both Gilby and Hamed lost their races in the Democratic primary for 2 seats in the LD 27 House on August 24, 2010, to fellow Democrats Sally Ann Gonzales and Dr. Macario Saldate. (Gonzales and Saldate face opposition from a Republican, a Green, and an Independent candidate in today’s General Election.)

LD 27 House Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford is running for this State Senate seat and will likely be elected in today’s General Election, as she faces only write-in opposition. She will then be sworn in to this office in January, 2011.

Maria Garcia is a manufacturing manager at Raytheon, and was married to Jorge for 37 years. They had three children and four grandchildren.

Maria and Jorge Luis Garcia, courtesy of the Garcia family