Democratic Florida State Rep. Luis Garcia dropped out of the race to challenge Republican congressman David Rivera Tuesday, amid accusations that DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz "betrayed" him. According to the Miami Herald:
State Rep. Luis Garcia, who had struggled to raise money and accused top Democratic leaders of double-crossing him, left the congressional race for a Miami-Dade County commission bid at the urging of a top financier.
Garcia said he’s planning to leave the Democratic Party following a dispute with Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Steve Israel, who both recruited former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas to jump into the race. Wasserman Schultz, a Weston congresswoman, disputed Garcia’s suggestion that she was rude or mean to him. She added that she didn’t betray him.
The "top fundraiser" cited in the story is Miami auto magnate Norman Braman, whom Garcia says he has known for at least 20 years. Braman’s wife Irma donated $4,600 to Wasserman Schultz's congressional campaign in 2007.
It is unclear whether the Bramans are involved in Wasserman Schultz’s reported betrayal of Garcia.
Garcia claims that he was asked to run for Congress by New York congressman Steve Israel, but that his campaign was deterred by a lack of support from Wasserman Schultz.
According to the Miami Herald in March:
"Every step of the way, I have met road blocks -- road blocks -- from Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Garcia said.
The final insult came this week when Garcia fielded a call from former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, who is mulling a run for the seat.
"Alex said that he had been called by Debbie Wasserman Schultz and that Steve Israel had come down to meet with him, all behind my back," Garcia said. "I placed a call to Steve Israel. He hasn’t returned my call. I’m not very happy about that."
When reached for comment by the Washington Free Beacon, Garcia would not deny his ill will toward the DNC chairwoman. "Right now I’m moving on to a new station in my life" Garcia said. "Read the blogs if you want to know things. It’s all there on the blogs."
Asked if he no longer harbors animosity toward Wasserman Schultz, Garcia said, "I didn’t say that."