Democrat George Whitesides, former NASA chief of staff and first-time candidate, will represent northern Los Angeles County in Congress next year after defeating Republican Rep. Mike Garcia in one of the House races. closest in the country.
García admitted defeat in a statement issued Monday night.
“In Congress, you can count on me to fight to create more good local jobs, reduce everyday costs, build safe communities, protect Social Security and Medicare, and protect reproductive freedom,” Whitesides said in a statement posted on social media. .
The Whitesides' narrow victory is a bright spot for Democrats amid a decisive shift to the right in American politics, with voters sending President-elect Donald Trump back to the White House and Republicans wresting control from the United States Senate to the Democrats. Republicans appear likely to retain control of the House of Representatives, but that remains unclear and Democrats could have a long way to go to power.
“I will always seek to serve this wonderful nation in any capacity and remain at its disposal for the maintenance of its splendor, the safety of its people and the protection of its future,” García said in his statement.
The race between Garcia and Whitesides to represent California's 27th Congressional District had been considered a toss-up and was closely watched across the country as one of several swing districts that could help determine which party wins control of the House.
The once staunchly conservative district, which stretches from Santa Clarita to the Kern County line and includes the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, has become more favorable in recent years to Democrats, whose growing voter registration advantage made the three-time elected García in one of the most voted. vulnerable rulers of the Republican Party in the country.
Redistricting after the 2020 census made the district bluer by eliminating conservative Simi Valley. Just over 41% of registered voters are Democrats and about 30% are Republicans. More than a fifth are independent.
Garcia, a former Navy pilot and former executive at defense contractor Raytheon, won his seat for the first time in a 2020 special election after Katie Hill, a millennial Democrat who had unseated a Republican incumbent in 2018, resigned amid of a sexual scandal.
García retained his seat in two subsequent elections. In all three elections, she defeated the same Democratic rival, former Assemblywoman Christy Smith.
Whitesides, the wealthy former CEO of Mojave-based Virgin Galactic who lent his campaign more than $1 million, had significant backing from the Democratic Party, which did not support Smith as strongly. The House's top Democrat, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, came to Antelope Valley last month to campaign for Whitesides, a sign of the race's importance to the national party.
Whitesides campaigned on reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as creating jobs and increasing funding for law enforcement. He portrayed Garcia as a pro-Trump sycophant, emphasizing the congressman's vote against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election after the January 6, 2021 insurrection, and his push to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
As a first-time candidate, Whitesides had no voting record to examine. Garcia then focused on his opponent's hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to progressive candidates and causes, attempting to portray him as a far-left megadonor using his personal wealth to try to buy a seat in Congress.
Garcia focused primarily on the high cost of living and gasoline in California, a powerful message in a district where many residents attracted by cheaper housing travel two hours or more to work in Los Angeles.
Garcia, the son of a Mexican immigrant who moved to the United States in 1959, also leaned toward the Republican message of strengthening immigration enforcement along the southern border.
At a summer town hall in Santa Clarita, he said his late father “came here legally” and “did it right” and that illegal immigration is one of the nation's biggest threats. In Congress, he voted against creating a path to citizenship for so-called Dreamers who were brought to the United States as children.
