Summary
Current Position: US Representative of CA District 52 since 2023 (formerly 51st district)
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: State Senator from 2010 – 2019; State Delegate from 2000 – 2006
District: Southwestern portions of San Diego County. Cities in the district include National City, Chula Vista and most of Imperial Beach.
Upcoming Election:
Quotes:
It is such an honor to be at the historical 59th Inaugural Ceremony, alongside my youngest daughter. Today, we are celebrating a historic win for girls, and women of color, who will finally see themselves represented in the White House.
Rep. Juan Vargas explains why he voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump
OnAir Post: Juan Vargas CA-52
News
About
Source: Government page
Congressman Juan Vargas was raised on a chicken ranch in National City, in California’s 51st District. He is one of ten children, born to his parents, Tomas and Celina Vargas on March 7, 1961. His father, Tomas, immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the late 1940s as part of the Bracero Program which brought millions of Mexican guest workers to the United States on short-term, primarily agricultural labor contracts, as part of a series of bi-lateral agreements between Mexico and the United States. Through the Bracero Program, Tomas became a legal resident and Juan’s mother, Celina, went on to earn her U.S. Citizenship.
As a young adult, Juan entered the Jesuits, a Catholic religious order, where he worked with disadvantaged communities, including orphaned children and internally displaced people in the jungles of El Salvador. For years, his work with the Jesuits focused on the health and welfare of children and issues of social justice.
Juan left the Jesuits in order to pursue family life. Two years later, he married Adrienne D’Ascoli and they returned to San Diego where Juan worked as an attorney with the law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton and Scripps. Although he enjoyed the practice of law, Juan decided to contribute to his community as a public official.
Juan was elected to the San Diego City Council in 1993. On the Council, he assumed a leadership role in planning, funding, and advocating for public safety, municipal infrastructure and schools. During his eight-year tenure on the San Diego City Council Juan helped establish community-based policing, which has become a national model, fought tobacco advertising directed at children, and helped create the City of San Diego’ s 6-to-6 after-school program. He also sponsored a graffiti and home rehabilitation program, known as Operation Restore, which employed homeless individuals in an effort to improve and revitalize blighted homes and neighborhoods in San Diego’s urban core.
When President Bill Clinton ordered an invasion of Kosovo in 1999 to end a terrifying regime of “ethnic cleansing,” Juan and Adrienne answered the President’s call and took in a refugee Kosovar family into their home for nearly two years. The family is now thriving and independent, residing in the city of El Cajon.
In 2000, Juan was elected by a wide margin to the California State Assembly. As the State Representative to the 79th Assembly District, Juan represented the southern portion of San Diego, the western portion of Chula Vista, and the cities of Coronado, Imperial Beach, and National City. In his first year as a State Legislator, Juan was appointed Assistant Majority Leader.
Following the end of his term the State Assembly in 2006, Juan went on to serve as Vice President of External Affairs for Safeco Insurance and Vice President of Corporate Legal for Liberty Mutual Group. Both are home, auto, and small business insurance companies and, under these roles, he helped bring jobs to Southern California communities.
In 2010, Juan answered the call to return to public service and was elected to the California State Senate. He represented the 40th California State Senate District, which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, portions of Riverside County, all of Imperial County and California’s entire U.S.-Mexico border.
Personal
Full Name: Juan C. Vargas
Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Adrienne; 2 Children: Rosa, Helena
Birth Date: 03/07/1961
Birth Place: National City, CA
Home City: San Diego, CA
Religion: Roman Catholic
Source: Vote Smart
Education
Attended, Jesuit Seminary
JD, Harvard Law School, 1991
MA, Humanities, Fordham University, 1987
BA, Political Science, University of San Diego, 1983
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 52, 2023-present
Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 51, 2013-2023
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, California, District 52, 2022
Senator, California State Senate, District 40, 2010-2012
Assembly Member, California State Assembly, District 79, 2000-2006
Assistant Majority Leader, California State Assembly, 2000-2006
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, California, District 51, 2006
Member, San Diego City Council, 1993-2001
Professional Experience
Former Vice President of Corporate Legal, Liberty Mutual Group
Former Associate Attorney, Luce, Forward, Hamilton and Scripps
Former Vice President of External Affairs, Safeco Insurance
Offices
SAN DIEGO COUNTY DISTRICT OFFICE
333 F Street
Suite A
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Phone: 619-422-5963
Fax: 619-422-7290
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (PT), Weekdays
IMPERIAL COUNTY DISTRICT OFFICE
380 North 8th Street
Suite 14
El Centro, CA 92243
Phone: 760-312-9900
Fax: 760-312-9664
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (PT), Weekdays
CAPITOL OFFICE
2244 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-8045
Fax: 202-225-2772
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (ET), Weekdays
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Finances
Source: Open Secrets
Committees
Committee on Financial Services
- Capital Markets
- Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy
- National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions
New Legislation
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: DistrictWikipedia
California’s 52nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by Democrat Juan Vargas.
The district currently includes southwestern portions of San Diego County. Cities in the district include National City, Chula Vista and most of Imperial Beach.
Wikipedia
Juan Carlos Vargas (born March 7, 1961) is an American businessman and politician who has been a U.S. representative for California since 2013. His district includes the southernmost portions of San Diego County.[1]
Vargas previously served as a Democratic member in the California State Senate representing the 40th district, the California State Assembly representing the 79th district, and the San Diego City Council.
Early life and education
Vargas was born on a chicken ranch in National City, California, where he grew up very poor.[2] He is the third of ten children of Tomas and Celina Vargas, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the late 1940s as part of the Bracero program.[3] Vargas graduated magna cum laude with a BA from the University of San Diego and earned an MA in humanities from Fordham University.
After college, Vargas joined the Jesuit Novitiate in Santa Barbara. In the Jesuits, Vargas served in an orphanage in El Salvador’s civil-war-torn jungles. After leaving the Jesuits, he attended law school, graduating in 1991 with a JD from Harvard Law School.[4]
Early political career (1992–2000)
1992 congressional election
In 1992, Vargas ran in the newly created 50th congressional district, based in San Diego. He lost the Democratic primary, ranking fourth with 19% of the vote. Bob Filner won the primary with a plurality of 26%[5] and went on to win the election.
San Diego City Council
Vargas served on the San Diego City Council from 1993 to 2000. While on the council, he created “Operation Restore” to employ homeless people to remove graffiti and to rehabilitate homes.[6]
1996 congressional election
In 1996, Vargas challenged Filner in the Democratic primary. Vargas wouldn’t debate Filner, so the incumbent instead sparred with a life-sized Vargas cardboard cutout. Vargas said he agreed with Filner on “99 percent” of issues.[7] Filner defeated him 55%–45%.[8]
California State Assembly (2000–2007)
Elections
In 2000, Vargas ran in California’s 79th State Assembly district. He defeated Republican Jon Parungao 77%–19%.[9][10] In 2002, he defeated Republican Mark Fast 66%–30%.[11] In 2004, he defeated Libertarian Eli Wallace Conroe 85%–15%.[12]
Tenure
In his first year in the Assembly, Vargas was appointed Assistant Majority Leader. He authored AB 188, legislation that bans smoking in children’s playgrounds. He also introduced legislation aimed at protecting children from arcade video games, and authored legislation to mandate life sentences for people who commit violent sex crimes against children, which served as a model for Chelsea’s Law.[13]
Committee assignments
2006 congressional election
In 2006, Vargas challenged Filner a third time, this time in California’s 51st congressional district. He accused Filner of being a part of the culture of corruption of Washington, pointing out that Filner had paid his wife more than $500,000 in campaign funds for consulting services performed from their condominium in Washington. Filner argued that Vargas had controversial payments to his brother-in-law, who was a lobbyist for realtors.[16][17] Filner defeated Vargas 51%–43%, with Danny Ramirez getting 6% of the vote.[10][18][19]
Business career (2007–2009)
After leaving the State Assembly in 2006 due to term limits, Vargas took a job with a home, auto and small business insurance company, where he was tasked with creating jobs and outreach in diverse San Diego communities as part of the company’s diversity initiative.[citation needed] He left that job at the end of 2009 to run as a Democratic candidate for the California State Senate.
California State Senate (2010–2013)
2010 election
In 2010, Vargas narrowly won a seat in the California’s 40th State Senate district, defeating Assemblywoman Mary Salas by 22 votes after recounts in San Diego and Riverside counties. He resigned from the Senate effective January 2, 2013, to take his seat in Congress. A special election to fill his seat was held in March 2013.[20]
Committee assignments
- Standing committees
- Banking & Financial Institutions (chair)
- Agriculture
- Business, Professions, and Economic Development
- Education
- Public Employment and Retirement
- Subcommittee
- Education: Sustainable School Facilities
- Joint Committee
- Rules[21]
- Select Committee
- Recovery, Reform, and Re-Alignment[22]
U.S. House of Representatives (2013–present)
2012 election
In 2012, when Filner announced he would retire from Congress to run for mayor of San Diego, Vargas endorsed him despite their history of bitter rivalry.[23] Vargas then ran for Filner’s seat in the 51st district. In the open primary, he ranked first with 46% of the vote. Republican Michael Crimmins ranked second with 20%, Democratic state senator Denise Moreno Ducheny third with 15%, and four other candidates received single-digit percentages.[24] In November, he defeated Crimmins 71%–29%.[25][26]
2020 election
In 2019, Vargas spent $124,200 of campaign money on photography, printing, postage, mailing and shipping of holiday cards that he sent to constituents.[27]
Tenure
Vargas was sworn in on January 3, 2013. In 2015, he and his wife, Adrienne, spent five days in Berlin and Elmau, Germany. The trip was paid for by Robert Bosch Stiftung and the German Marshall Fund and cost $18,200. Part of Vargas’s congressional work, the trip was to help him develop “a greater understanding of the key legislative topics of the 114th Congress through our [Germany and the United States] transatlantic relationship.”[28]
In 2022, Vargas was one of 16 Democrats to vote against the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[29][30]
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He voted in favor of a bill that provided an additional $14.3 billion to support Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.[31]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[32]
Caucus memberships
- New Democrat Coalition[33]
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus[34]
- Climate Solutions Caucus[35]
- Congressional Progressive Caucus[36]
- Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans[37]
Political positions
Vargas has a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America and an F rating from the Susan B. Anthony List for his abortion-related voting record.[38][39] He opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “fundamentally wrong and extremely disappointing, impacting millions of women across the country.”[40]
In 2023, Vargas was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21 which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[41][42]
Vargas was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[43]
Personal life
Vargas and his wife, Adrienne, have two daughters.[27]
During the 1999 armed conflict in Kosovo, Vargas welcomed a Kosovar refugee family into his family’s home for nearly two years.[4]
He had a cameo in the 2023 movie Dumb Money.
See also
References
- ^ “District 51” (PDF). California Redistricting Commission certified map. Healthy City. August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ Viebeck, Elise (9 August 2017). “Border wall hits close to home: Trump’s immigration policy raises old fears for Congress’s first-generation Americans”. Washington Post. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- ^ “Full Biography”. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ a b “Senator Juan Vargas: California Senate District 40”. California State Senate. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – CA District 50 – D Primary Race – Jun 02, 1992”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ Mork, Janis (November 7, 2012). “Meet Congressman Juan Vargas, who wins seat in 51st congressional district”. East County Magazine. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
- ^ “The Politics of Bob Filner’s Personality – Voice of San Diego: Government”. Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – CA District 50 – D Primary Race – Mar 26, 1996”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – CA State Assembly 79 Race – Nov 07, 2000”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ a b LaVelle, Philip J.; Dani Dodge (June 7, 2006). “Bilbray edges out Busby”. San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – CA State Assembly 79 Race – Nov 05, 2002”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – CA State Assembly 79 Race – Nov 02, 2004”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Biography”. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “USATODAY.com – Consumer-backed bill fails; industry measure passes committee”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Calif. Commissioner Formally Enforces Regulatory Powers Over SCIF”. 21 March 2003. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Login”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Mudslinging, issues pit Vargas against Filner”. Imperial Valley Press Online. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – CA District 51 – D Primary Race – Jun 06, 2006”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ Raftery, Miriam (June 5, 2006). “Bigamy, bribery, other allegations plague California congressional race”. The Raw Story. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ Walker, Mark (January 3, 2013). “Peters, Vargas ready for Washington fray”. San Diego Union Tribune.
- ^ “Home – Senator”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Juan Vargas, Democrat for United States Congress”. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ Liam Dillon (2 November 2012). “The Politics of Bob Filner’s Personality”. Voice of San Diego. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
Last summer, Juan Vargas walked up to Filner in a beer line at a South Bay festival with a message he’s never given Filner before. Vargas told Filner he was going to endorse him.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – CA – District 51 – Open Primary Race – Jun 05, 2012”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – CA – District 51 Race – Nov 06, 2012”. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
- ^ “Presidential General Election, Tuesday, November 5, 2012” (PDF). United States Representative. California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ a b Schroeder, Lauryn (5 February 2019). “Vargas spends $100K on holiday cards for constituents”. Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- ^ Potter, matt (30 April 2015). “Juan and Adrienne’s Bavarian spring break | San Diego Reader”. San Diego Reader. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- ^ “House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled”. CNBC. 29 September 2022.
- ^ “H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 — House Vote #460 — Sep 29, 2022”.
- ^ “House approves GOP’s $14.3 billion Israel aid package”. The Hill. November 2, 2023.
- ^ “Juan Vargas”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ “Members”. New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ “Members”. Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ “90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members”. Citizen´s Climate Lobby. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ “Caucus Members”. Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ “Members of the Caucus on U.S. – Türkiye Relations & Turkish Americans”. Turkish Coalition of America. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ “Juan Vargas”. NARAL Pro-Choice America. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ “Juan Vargas”. SBA Pro-Life America. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ Vargas, Juan (24 June 2022). “Roe v. Wade was the law of the land. Today’s Supreme Court decision is fundamentally wrong and extremely disappointing, impacting millions of women across the country. My full statement is below”. Twitter. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ “H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … — House Vote #136 — Mar 8, 2023”.
- ^ “House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria”. Associated Press. 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
- ^ Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023). “Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no”. The Hill. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
External links
- Congressman Juan Vargas official U.S. House website
- Juan Vargas for Congress campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
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