Carlos A. Gimenez
RepublicanU.S. Representative, FL-28| Age | 72 (b. 1954-01-17) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2021-01-03 (~5 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Cuban-American (Hispanic/Latino) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Graduated Christopher Columbus High School (Miami, 1972); B.P.A. in Public Administration, Barry University (1999); completed Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, Harvard Kennedy School (1993). |
| Prior occupation | Career firefighter and paramedic; Chief of the City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department (1991-2000); City Manager of Miami (2000-2003) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Havana, Cuba (foreign-born) |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Marital status | Married — Lourdes Portela Giménez |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Miami, Florida |
| Notable relatives | Son Carlos J. Giménez Jr. is a Miami-Dade politician/lobbyist who ran for office; daughter-in-law Tania Cruz-Giménez ran for Coral Gables Commission. |
Pending research: openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2020 |
| Previous offices | Chief, City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department (1991-2000) · City Manager of Miami (2000-2003) · Miami-Dade County Commissioner, District 7 (2004/2005-2011) · Mayor of Miami-Dade County (2011-2020) |
| Committees | House Committee on Armed Services (Subcommittees on Readiness and on Tactical Air and Land Forces) · House Committee on Homeland Security (Chairman, Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security; member, Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection) · House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party |
| Caucuses | Colombia Caucus · Everglades Caucus · Former Local Elected Officials Caucus · Latino Jewish Congressional Caucus · Venezuela Democracy Caucus · Republican Study Committee · Republican Main Street Partnership / Republican Governance Group · Climate Solutions Caucus |
| Leadership | Assistant Whip, House Republican Conference (appointed by Whip Steve Scalise, 117th Congress) |
| Party history | Long-time Republican. In 2016 he publicly said he would vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, but later reversed course and ran as a pro-Trump Republican in 2020; no formal party switch occurred. |
| Ideology | Voting record scored as a conservative Republican; profiled on Voteview (DW-NOMINATE) and rated as a reliable Republican vote, though he occasionally crosses party lines (e.g., Respect for Marriage Act, January 6 commission). |
| Signature legislation | Co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act (Republican alternative to the Equality Act on LGBT nondiscrimination) · Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act (2022) · Voted for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act (2021) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed –$1,550,000 (2020) · estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Congressional Office Employment Discrimination Settlement (OCWR)
Rep. Gimenez's congressional office was the only lawmaker's office to settle an employment discrimination claim in 2024, resolving an allegation of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability under federal law. The settlement was for $25,000. Gimenez denied personal involvement, and OCWR records confirm he was not personally responsible for the discriminatory act.