Yakima physician Dr. Raul Garcia announces bid for 2024 governor’s race

Yakima emergency room physician Dr. Raul Garcia announced his bid for the 2024 gubernatorial race at an event in downtown Seattle on Friday.

Garcia, a Republican, was born in Cuba and emigrated to the U.S. when he was 11 years old, according to a news release sent from his campaign. He is currently the medical director of Toppenish Hospital, south of Yakima.

To promote vaccination in the Latino community, Garcia founded the Partnership for Food Security in 2020.

“My family and I are honored to announce my candidacy to become the next Governor of Washington,” he said in a statement. “I am here to bring Health to our state, to bring present, effective, and efficient leadership, and to create a government by the people of different walks of life and united by one common goal, to restore the safe and prosperous lives of our WA families.”

So far, 11 other candidates have thrown their hat in the gubernatorial ring, including two Democrats, current Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and current Commissioner of Lands Hilary Franz. Gov. Jay Inslee announced May 1 that he would not be running for a third term.

This isn’t the first time Garcia has run for governor.

In 2020 he received 5.4% of the primary vote in a race that had more than 30 candidates. His campaign that year raised more than $420,000, according to the Public Disclosure Commission.