Florida’s Giménez Launches Bid to Chair House Homeland Security Panel

Florida Republican Carlos Giménez on 2 July declared his candidacy to chair the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, moving quickly after current chairman Mark Green of Tennessee said he will retire from Congress once the chamber completes a vote on a tax-relief package.

In a letter circulated to colleagues and the House Republican Steering Committee, Giménez cited his four decades in public safety—including stints as Miami’s fire chief, city manager and later mayor of Miami-Dade County—as preparation for leading the panel that oversees border security, cyber-defence and emergency response. He currently heads the committee’s Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee and sits on its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection panel.

Green has not endorsed a successor. New York Republican Andrew Garbarino told Inside Cybersecurity he will run, while Mississippi’s Michael Guest said he is consulting with family about a bid. The Steering Committee will choose Green’s replacement once the seat is officially vacant.