In one of the most competitive and closely watched Congressional races of this election cycle, Republican Rep. Mike Garcia conceded to Democrat George Whitesides, a political newcomer, on Monday, Nov. 11, drawing to close the drama around this high-stakes race as Republicans and Democrats continue to vie for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Whitesides had 51.21% of the vote while Garcia had 48.79% in the race for California’s 27th Congressional District, following Monday’s vote tally update by the L.A. County registrar’s office.
Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia, a former fighter pilot who was first elected to Congress in 2020, is in a tough battle with Democratic challenger and former NASA chief of staff George Whitesides. Photos: Courtesy images
Whiteside initially led in the first set of results that trickled in on election night, then Garcia overtook him when the second round of results came in that evening. But Whitesides continued to close in on Garcia’s lead every day of subsequent ballot counting, taking over the lead again on Saturday.
By Monday, with Garcia trailing by 6,983 votes (2.42 percentage points), the incumbent conceded the race. The county registrar’s office hasn’t finished counting ballots and has until Dec. 3 to certify the results of the election.
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His concession came on Veterans Day. Garcia, a former Navy pilot, noted in a statement that he had served the country since he was 18 and said that representing the people in the 27th District “has been an honor of a lifetime.”
“I will always seek to serve this wonderful nation in any capacity and remain at her disposal for the maintenance of her splendor, the security of her people and the protection of her future,” Garcia said. He also thanked voters for electing him “during a tumultuous and critical period in our nation’s history.”
Garcia said he spoke with Whitesides to congratulate him and pledged to ensure a smooth transition in leadership.
Shortly after Garcia’s concession, Whitesides issued his own statement.
“In Congress, you can count on me to fight to create more good local jobs, lower everyday costs, build safe communities, protect Social Security and Medicare, and protect reproductive freedom,” he said.
Whitesides also said he thanked Garcia for his service to the nation and the district.
Garcia, 48, served as a fighter pilot in the Navy during Operation Iraqi Freedom. When he returned to Southern California, he worked at U.S. defense contractor Raytheon on classified technology deals with allies in the Middle East, North America, Europe and Asia, according to his campaign website.
Garcia won his first House race in a special election in 2020 after the seat was vacated by Rep. Katie Hill, a Democrat. He beat then-Assemblymember Christy Smith, a Democrat, in the spring 2020 race, and then he defeated her again in two subsequent races.
Whitesides, 50, lives in Agua Dulce. Like Garcia, Whitesides has worked in the aerospace industry. He served as NASA’s chief of staff, then as CEO of Virgin Galactic before co-founding an organization to combat wildfires.
The district represents parts of northern L.A. County, including the high desert communities of Lancaster, Palmdale and Santa Clarita.
Once a conservative stronghold, the demographics of California’s 27th Congressional District have shifted over the years, with more voters now registered as Democrats. Just over 40% of voters in the district are registered Democrats compared to 30% who are registered Republicans. Another 21.5% are registered as “no party preference.”