GEORGE WHITESIDES FOR CONGRESS - CA 27
The closest swing district to SFV Indivisible is CA 27, which covers the geographic area of the northern San Fernando Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley and the high desert Antelope Valley.
The District is 41.5 % registered Democrats, 30% Republicans and 21, No Party Preference. Demographically the district is 42.4% Hispanic, 33.8% White, 9.8% Black, and 9.0% Asian. President Biden won this district decisively in 2020.
CA 27 was designated a Red to Blue list from the DCCC. Red to Blue is a highly competitive and tested program at the DCCC that equips top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them.
CA 27 is considered a toss-up by Cook Political Report which identifies it as D+4 Partisan Voting Index. This suggests that the district performs an average of 4 points more than Democrats in the nation.
Background CA 27 is currently represented by Republican Mike Garcia a former U.S. Navy pilot. He was first elected to Congress in 2020. In the 2020 election Assembly Member Christy Smith (D) lost to Garcia by just 336 votes in an election where 338,943 votes were cast. Rep Garcia won a second term more decisively in 2022 when voter turnout was much lower for Democrats.
The race in 2024 pits incumbent Mike Garcia, with far right views and a close friendship with Speaker Mike Johnson against newcomer George Whitesides. A former NASA administrator under President Obama and CEO of Virgin Galactic, Whitesides moved through the March primary easily. Voter turnout in the Primary however, was disappointingly low, but the Presidential election should help turnout in November.
Why this seat can be flipped. Mike Garcia’s far right positions are out of step with the district. One of his first votes in Congress was to overturn the 2020 election results, and since then has voted against Voting Rights (John Lewis Act), Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the
Affordable Insulin Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Assault Weapons Ban, the Right to Contraceptives Act, and is strongly supportive of the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Mr. Whitesides needs name recognition, and money to show the constituents of CA 27 how far right their Congressional Representative votes.
Grassroots groups, including SFV Indivisible have started canvassing, phone calling, and sending postcards to help. This is a critical and winnable race, and it is next door to us. Let’s do everything possible to send Mr. Whitesides to Washington.