Carlos Gimenez

Carlos A. Giménez
Birthplace	Havana, Cuba
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, firefighter
Title	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 28th congressional district
Known for	U.S. Representative for Florida's 28th congressional district; former Mayor of Miami-Dade County

Carlos Alberto Giménez (born January 17, 1954) is a Cuban-born American politician and retired firefighter serving as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 28th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, Giménez has represented the South Florida district—which encompasses portions of Miami-Dade County including Key West and the Florida Keys—since January 2021. Before entering federal office, he served as the Mayor of Miami-Dade County from 2011 to 2020, having previously spent more than two decades as a firefighter and fire chief for the City of Miami. Born in Havana, Cuba, Giménez emigrated to the United States as a child, a background that has shaped his outspoken positions on Cuba policy, Latin American affairs, and immigration. In Congress, he has focused on issues affecting South Florida, including federal investment in local infrastructure, trade policy, and efforts to pressure the Cuban government. His political career reflects a trajectory from municipal public safety leadership to county executive to national legislator, establishing him as a prominent figure in South Florida Republican politics and in the broader Cuban-American political community.

Early Life

Carlos Alberto Giménez was born on January 17, 1954, in Havana, Cuba. As a young child, he left Cuba with his family and settled in the United States, joining the wave of Cuban exiles who departed the island in the years following the Cuban Revolution of 1959. The Giménez family established themselves in South Florida, where a large and growing Cuban-American community was taking root in the Miami metropolitan area.

Growing up in Miami, Giménez was shaped by the immigrant experience common to many Cuban-American families of that era—a combination of gratitude for the opportunities afforded by the United States and a deep opposition to the communist government in Cuba. These formative experiences would later inform his political positions, particularly his vocal criticism of the Cuban regime and his advocacy for policies aimed at supporting the Cuban people while opposing the island's government.

Giménez pursued a career in public service from an early age. He joined the City of Miami Fire Department, beginning what would become a distinguished career in firefighting and fire rescue that spanned more than 25 years. He rose through the ranks of the department, eventually attaining the position of Fire Chief, one of the highest-ranking roles in municipal fire services. His tenure in the fire department provided him with extensive experience in emergency management, public safety administration, and municipal governance—skills that would prove foundational to his later career in elected office.

Career

Fire Service

Giménez spent over two decades with the City of Miami Fire Department, where he built a career that took him from the ranks of firefighter to the position of Fire Chief. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing fire suppression, emergency medical services, and disaster preparedness for one of the largest cities in Florida. His experience managing emergency response operations and large municipal departments gave him a practical grounding in public administration that distinguished him from many career politicians.

Mayor of Miami-Dade County

In 2011, Giménez was elected Mayor of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and one of the largest local government jurisdictions in the United States. He won a special election following the recall of the previous mayor and subsequently won reelection, serving in the office until 2020. As county mayor, Giménez oversaw a government responsible for a population of approximately 2.7 million residents, managing a broad portfolio that included transportation, public housing, water and sewer services, and the county's extensive parks system.

During his tenure as county mayor, Giménez dealt with a range of significant issues, including fiscal management during and after the economic recovery, infrastructure development, and emergency response—most notably during major hurricane seasons that affected South Florida. His background in fire rescue and emergency management was particularly relevant during these crises. He also navigated complex political dynamics in a county known for its diverse population and active political engagement, particularly within the Cuban-American and broader Hispanic communities.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 2020, Giménez ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, seeking to represent what was then Florida's 26th congressional district. He won the general election and took office in January 2021. Following redistricting after the 2020 census, the district was renumbered as Florida's 28th congressional district, which Giménez has continued to represent. The district covers a large geographic area in South Florida, including parts of southern Miami-Dade County, Monroe County, and the Florida Keys.

Federal Investments and Local Projects

Giménez has been active in securing federal funding for projects within his congressional district. In February 2026, he announced that 12 key projects across Florida's 28th Congressional District had received over $78 million in investments through the fiscal year 2026 federal budget process. These investments were directed toward critical infrastructure and community projects throughout the district, reflecting Giménez's emphasis on channeling federal resources to address local needs in areas such as transportation, coastal resilience, and public facilities.

Cuba Policy

One of Giménez's most prominent areas of legislative focus has been U.S. policy toward Cuba. As a Cuban-born member of Congress, he has been among the most vocal critics of the Cuban government in Washington and has consistently advocated for measures to increase pressure on the island's ruling authorities.

In February 2026, Giménez held a press conference at PortMiami alongside Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez and other leaders of the Cuban exile community to call for immediate action to cut off what he described as the Cuban regime's financial lifelines. The event focused on concerns about businesses operating out of South Florida that were allegedly sending luxury goods to Cuba, potentially benefiting the Cuban government and its officials. Giménez and the other officials called for a review of these business operations and for decisive action to ensure that U.S. commerce was not providing economic support to the Cuban state.

Around the same time, Giménez authored an opinion piece published in Fox News titled "Cuba Is Approaching Its Berlin Wall Moment — America Must Help Them Break Through," in which he argued that conditions in Cuba were reaching a critical juncture and that the United States had both a strategic interest and a moral obligation to support the Cuban people in their aspirations for freedom. The op-ed drew parallels between the current situation in Cuba and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, calling on the U.S. government to take a more active role in pressuring the Cuban government and supporting pro-democracy movements on the island.

In February 2026, Giménez publicly rejected a media report that claimed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was holding talks with the grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro about the future of the island. Giménez stated that such negotiations would be unacceptable and inconsistent with the approach he believed the U.S. should take toward Cuba. His response underscored his position that U.S. engagement with Cuba should be conditional on genuine political reforms and should not legitimize the Castro family's continued involvement in the island's governance.

Trade and Latin American Affairs

Beyond Cuba, Giménez has also been active on broader trade and Latin American policy issues. In November 2025, he sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio denouncing the government of Mexico ahead of negotiations over the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). In the letter, Giménez raised concerns about Mexico's trade practices and their impact on American workers and businesses, as well as broader geopolitical issues related to the bilateral relationship. His involvement in trade policy discussions reflects the economic significance of international commerce to his South Florida district, which includes PortMiami—one of the busiest cargo and cruise ports in the United States.

Congressional Staff and Office

In February 2026, Giménez announced the appointment of Alex Ferro as his Washington, D.C. Chief of Staff. The announcement also identified Rey Anthony as Chief of Staff for Capitol Hill operations, indicating a dual-chief-of-staff structure within the congressman's office. The announcement was made in a photograph that also included Lourdes Giménez, suggesting a family presence at the event.

Personal Life

Carlos Giménez is a naturalized American citizen who was born in Havana, Cuba, and emigrated to the United States as a child. He has maintained strong ties to the Cuban-American community in South Florida throughout his life and career. His wife, Lourdes Giménez, has appeared alongside him at official events, including the announcement of his D.C. Chief of Staff appointment in February 2026.

Giménez's Cuban heritage has been a defining element of both his personal identity and his political career. He has spoken frequently about the experiences of his family leaving Cuba and the broader Cuban exile community's commitment to opposing the communist government on the island. These personal experiences have informed his legislative priorities, particularly his sustained focus on Cuba policy and his advocacy for measures to support the Cuban people.

Political Positions

Giménez is a member of the Republican Party and has aligned with conservative positions on many issues. His most prominent policy stances relate to Cuba, where he has consistently called for a hard-line approach toward the Cuban government, opposing diplomatic normalization efforts that do not include concrete steps toward democracy and human rights on the island. He has also taken positions on trade policy, expressing criticism of the Mexican government in the context of USMCA renegotiations.

His focus on securing federal funding for district projects, as demonstrated by the $78 million in investments announced for fiscal year 2026, reflects a pragmatic approach to constituent service alongside his ideological positions on foreign policy.

On the question of U.S. engagement with the Castro family's political legacy in Cuba, Giménez has taken a firm stance against any negotiations that could be perceived as legitimizing figures associated with the former ruling family, as evidenced by his rejection of reports of Secretary of State Rubio's alleged talks with Raúl Castro's grandson.