George Whitesides has defeated three-term GOP Rep. Mike Garcia, flipping a long-coveted Los Angeles space Home seat to the Democrats’ column.
Garcia — who conceded the race Monday — was a prime goal for a number of cycles, given the Democrats’ 10-point registration benefit within the district and his conservative votes within the Home. However he had confirmed surprisingly sturdy within the blue-leaning seat, leaning on his fighter-jet pilot previous to enchantment to voters in a district dominated by aerospace.
This time, Democrats have been capable of efficiently use Garcia’s file in opposition to him, notably as they hammered him on his previous help for a nationwide abortion ban.
The celebration additionally fielded a stronger challenger to tackle Garcia. Whitesides, the previous CEO of Virgin Galactic, delivered his personal aerospace bona fides and a powerful fundraising efficiency. He was aided by hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in spending from Democratic exterior teams, a stark distinction from 2022 after they pulled out of the expensive Los Angeles media market within the closing weeks of the marketing campaign.
