U.S. House of RepresentativesCandidate for District 34

Melissa Garza, known as “Sharkie” to her closest friends, is a 38 year-old filmmaker, entrepreneur, and Democrat who grew up in Anaheim, CA. After graduating California State University, Fullerton, she earned her MFA in Film Production with an emphasis in Digital Arts/Motion Capture from Chapman University, in Orange, CA. She worked in the visual effects industry on the films Avatar, Tron: Legacy, Night at the Museum 2, and The Adventures of Tintin. She also worked on the family friendly theme park attractions Donkey Live!, Dora & Diego’s 4D Adventure Catch that Robot Butterfly, and Madagascar: A Crate Adventure. She has been living in Koreatown, Los Angeles since 2011.

In addition to her work on big budget Hollywood films and high profile theme park attractions, Sharkie has worked on Public Service Announcements for the California State Health Department's Non-Smoking Initiative, The LA River, and Kuumba Schule--a non-profit learning academy which nurtures creativity and emotional IQ within children.

Throughout her career she has advocated for children and young adults to further their education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). In addition, she strongly believes that emotional intelligence training should be an integral part of a child’s education at school.

Sharkie grew up with a lot of responsibility early on in her life. She had to assist in caring for her mute and special needs brother, one year her junior, especially after her parents got divorced when she was eleven. Since her brother does not have a voice, she has never been afraid to use hers! She advocates that everyone use their voice and not take it for granted. She encourages everyone she meets to stand up for themselves and not to let others take advantage them.

In the ocean, sharks maintain and oversee the delicate balance that is needed in the ocean’s ecosystem. Sharkie is running for congress because she believes that a true shark (not a typical lawyer or politician) is needed in Washington D.C. to protect, preserve, defend, and fight for the people of District 34.

Her campaign is based on the ideal of finding the proper balance between people and profits in order to ensure a positive future for everyone in America. Sharkie’s beliefs are rooted in integrity and honesty. She listens to different perspectives and analyzes problems from every angle before making a decision on how to act; however, in an emergency situation her keen sense of intuition kicks in and she acts without hesitation.

She is committed to staying firm on her progressive beliefs and will stand ready to fight and defend them. She wants to find a way to work with the opposition in good faith. She believes that her universal appeal and ability to unify people will be the key towards real progress. Her superpower is the ability to uncover hidden secrets, which is a skill that will come in quite handy when keeping the new administration accountable in Washington D.C.

She has what is takes to be successful in Washington D.C. because working as a filmmaker in high end visual effects is one the hardest jobs in the world. It entails collaborating with a diverse group of highly trained and talented individuals to create experiences that have never been done or seen before, working long, painstaking hours to meet deadlines. These problem solving and communication skills make her the ideal candidate for the congressional seat of District 34. She is tenacious, resilient, and knows how to keep moving forward--just like a shark!