George Whitesides declares victory over Mike Garcia in District 27 race
LOS ANGELES - Democrat George Whitesides declared victory over Republican incumbent Mike Garcia in the race for California's 27th Congressional District.
As of 5:25 p.m. Nov. 11, Whitesides had secured 51.2% of the vote while Garcia had 48.8%.
"It’s the honor of a lifetime to be elected to serve our district in Congress and deliver for Santa Clarita, the Antelope Valley, and the San Fernando Valley. Rep. Garcia called me earlier to concede the race, and I thanked him for his years of service to our district and to the nation. 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," Whitesides said in a statement.
CA's 27th Congressional District: Mike Garcia
The battle for control of Congress runs through California. One of the key races is California's 27th district. Republican Congressman Mike Garcia was first elected to the seat in 2019 and then again in 2022. The former Navy fighter pilot is being challenged by Democrat George Whitesides. Garcia spoke to FOX 11's Elex Michaelson about the race and his proposed plans.
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Garcia conceded and released a statement saying in part, "Representing the people of California’s 27th Congressional District for the last 4.5 years has been an honor of a lifetime. I want to thank my family for making the sacrifices, and my team and my volunteers for working harder than any other team in the nation during this journey of providence. We achieved so much in a short period of time. We truly made history and saved lives. I’m proud of all we’ve done. 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 was one of the last Republican congressman anchored in the heavily Democratic area of Los Angeles County.
Garcia is a former Navy pilot who flew more than 30 combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is also a strong supporter of Donald Trump. Garcia was first elected to the seat in 2019 and then again in 2022.
Whitesides is a former NASA chief of staff and former CEO of Virgin Galactic.