Debbie Mucarsel-Powell

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell ( ; born January 18, 1971) is an American politician and academic administrator serving as the Executive Director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the U.S. representative for from 2019 to 2021.

Born in Ecuador, Mucarsel-Powell made history as 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 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 making her the first Latina Democrat to win a US Senate nomination in Florida. In November, she lost the general election to Scott.

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 High School in a doughnut shop and continued to work to help support her family, who shared a one-bedroom apartment.

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 (FIU) 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

2018 U.S. House election results for Florida's 26th congressional district 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 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.

2024 U.S. Senate campaign

Mucarsel-Powell announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate in August 2023, challenging incumbent Republican Rick Scott. She lost the general election, receiving 42.8% of the vote to Scott's 55.6%.

Personal life Mucarsel-Powell is of Ecuadorian and Lebanese ancestry and is a Roman Catholic. When she was 24 years old, a gunman killed her father outside his home in Ecuador. She and her husband, Robert Powell, have three children.

Electoral history 2016

2018

2020

2024