Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
Deborah Mucarsel-Powell is an American politician and academic administrator who served as the U.S. representative for from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented a district in the southern Miami-Dade County, including Homestead and 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. She was defeated in her 2020 [United States House of Representatives elections in Florida#District 26|2020] reelection bid by Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Giménez. As a congresswoman, Mucarsel-Powell voiced support for ousting president Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and was part of a delegation that met with opposition leader Juan Guaidó when he visited the United States.
Before entering politics, Mucarsel-Powell worked for various nonprofits, including the Hope Center, Zoo Miami Foundation, and the Coral Restoration Foundation. She was the associate vice president for advancement and later an associate dean at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
In August 2023, Mucarsel-Powell announced she was running for the United States Senate in 2024 against incumbent Republican Rick Scott. She won the Democratic nomination for the seat on August 20, 2024, but lost to Scott in the general election by over 12 points.
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. After her parents' divorce, she immigrated to the U.S. at age 14 with her mother and three sisters. She began working in a doughnut shop and continued to work to help support her family, who shared a one-bedroom apartment. In 1995, her father was shot to death outside of his home in Ecuador.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.
Early career
Mucarsel-Powell worked for nonprofits, including the Hope Center, Zoo Miami Foundation, and the Coral Restoration Foundation. She worked in fundraising for Florida International University and was the associate vice president for advancement 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 representative Carlos Curbelo in of the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 elections. She defeated Demetries Grimes in the Democratic Party primary election with 63.5% of the vote.In the November 6 general election, Mucarsel-Powell defeated Curbelo with 50.9% of the vote, becoming the first Ecuadorian-born person to be elected to Congress and the first woman to represent Florida's 26th congressional district.
2020
In the prelude to the 2020 elections, Mucarsel-Powell's seat was included as a target of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Her Republican opponent, Carlos A. Giménez, was then the mayor of Miami-Dade County, and was endorsed by President Donald Trump. Mucarsel-Powell lost to Giménez, with 48.6% of the vote to Giménez's 51.3%.Tenure
Within the first month of her tenure, Mucarsel-Powell introduced a bill to provide the people of Venezuela with humanitarian aid amid the ongoing socioeconomic crisis, which had worsened with the presidential crisis beginning in January 2019. She voiced support for ousting president Nicolás Maduro and recognizing the transitional government led by assembly speaker Juan Guaidó. Mucarsel-Powell was among a delegation of House Democrats that met with Guaidó when he visited the U.S. in February 2020.On December 18, 2019, Mucarsel-Powell voted to impeach President Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Committee assignments
Source:- 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
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.She was appointed the Executive Director of the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management on September 1, 2025.