It was a momentous 4th of July holiday for Mayor Robert Garcia and his partner of nine years, Dr. Matthew Mendez, as Garcia popped the question aboard the Queen Mary Tuesday night.

He said yes pic.twitter.com/5ebvvdGvM6 — Robert Garcia (@RobertGarciaLB) July 5, 2017

Mendez, a Long Beach resident, is a professor of political science at California State University, Channel Islands. As a published researcher, his work focuses on American politics and parliamentary governments including political representation, immigration and state legislatures. His 2015 dissertation earned him the Best Dissertation Award on Race and Ethnicity from the American Political Science Association, according to the announcement.

Mendez earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Southern California in 2015 after completing his undergraduate degree at San Jose State University.

Garcia was elected as the Mayor of Long Beach on June 3, 2014. Listed by the New York Times as a politician to watch in 2016, the mayor was recently recognized for his climate protection efforts during the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 85th Annual Meeting. In January, Garcia was elected to a four-year term on the Metro Board of Directors.