She is currently the executive director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University.
Mucarsel-Powell was the first Ecuadorian-American and first South American-born immigrant to serve as a member of the U.S. Congress. She was defeated in her 2020 reelection bid by Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Giménez. As a congresswoman, Mucarsel-Powell voiced support for ousting president Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and was part of a delegation that met with opposition leader Juan Guaidó when he visited the United States.
Before entering politics, Mucarsel-Powell worked for various nonprofits, including the Hope Center, Zoo Miami Foundation, and the Coral Restoration Foundation. She was the associate vice president for advancement and later an associate dean at the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
In August 2023, Mucarsel-Powell announced she was running for the United States Senate in 2024 against incumbent Republican Rick Scott.[2] She won the Democratic nomination for the seat on August 20, 2024, but lost to Scott in the general election by over 12 points.
Early life and education
Mucarsel-Powell was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and raised in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Imelda Gil and Guido Mucarsel Yunes. After her parents' divorce, she immigrated to the U.S. at age 14 with her mother and three sisters. She began working in a doughnut shop and continued to work to help support her family, who shared a one-bedroom apartment.[3] In 1995, her father was shot to death outside of his home in Ecuador.[4]
In the November 6 general election, Mucarsel-Powell defeated Curbelo with 50.9% of the vote,[12] becoming the first Ecuadorian-born person to be elected to Congress and the first woman to represent Florida's 26th congressional district.[3][13]
Within the first month of her tenure, Mucarsel-Powell introduced a bill to provide the people of Venezuela with humanitarian aid amid the ongoing socioeconomic crisis, which had worsened with the presidential crisis beginning in January 2019. She voiced support for ousting president Nicolás Maduro and recognizing the transitional government led by assembly speaker Juan Guaidó.[16] Mucarsel-Powell was among a delegation of House Democrats that met with Guaidó when he visited the U.S. in February 2020.[17]
On December 18, 2019, Mucarsel-Powell voted to impeach President Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.[18]
Mucarsel-Powell announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate in August 2023, challenging incumbent Republican Rick Scott.[2] She won the Democratic primary with minor opposition on August 20, 2024, becoming the first Latina woman to be nominated for a Senate seat in Florida. Her campaign had raised more than $12 million by the day of the primary.[27] She lost the general election, receiving 42.8% of the vote to Scott's 55.6%.
Post-congressional career
On September 1, 2025, she was named executive director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University.[28]
Personal life
Mucarsel-Powell is of Ecuadorian and Lebanese ancestry and is a Roman Catholic.[29][30] When she was 24 years old, a gunman killed her father outside his home in Ecuador.[31][32] She and her husband, Robert Powell, have three children.[33]
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