Republican incumbent federal congressman Mike Garcia admitted defeat on Monday, November 11th, in the evening to Democratic challenger George Whitesides in California’s 27th Congressional District.
Garcia announced his loss on social media platform X at 7 p.m. local time, stating that he had spoken with Whitesides over the phone and congratulated him on his victory. In his statement, Garcia mentioned handing over the unfinished constituent cases to Whitesides and his team to ensure a smooth transition.
It was Garcia’s first re-election campaign to Congress. He is a former U.S. Navy pilot and former executive at Raytheon, who received the endorsement of President Trump in this election.
“In the past four and a half years, representing the people of the 27th District of California has been the honor of my life. I want to thank my family for their sacrifices, as well as my team and volunteers who have worked harder than any other team across the nation throughout this journey,” Garcia said.
Even in defeat, Garcia pledged to continue serving the country. “No matter the position I hold, I will continue to serve this great nation and be ready to heed the country’s call, committed to upholding the nation’s glory, ensuring the safety of the people, and securing the future of the country.”
At the time of Garcia’s announcement, 83% of the votes in the district had been counted, with Garcia receiving 48.8% of the votes, trailing behind Whitesides with 51.2%. Whitesides led by a margin of 2.4 percentage points (approximately 6,983 votes).
Whitesides, described by the media as a political newcomer, previously served as Chief of Staff at NASA during the Obama administration and as CEO of Virgin Galactic. In this election, he emphasized using his business experience to solve issues, a stance that garnered support from the national Democratic Party.
Whitesides also thanked the supporters on social media platform X, writing, “Serving the people in Congress is the honor of my life. Congressman Garcia called earlier to acknowledge his defeat, and I thank him for his years of service to our district and country.”
Whitesides vowed, “In Congress, you can trust that I will create more local job opportunities, reduce daily costs, build secure communities, protect social security and healthcare, and defend reproductive freedom.”
California’s 27th District covers the northern high desert region of Los Angeles County, including communities like Lancaster, Palmdale, and Santa Clarita. The district has a Democratic voter registration lead over the Republicans by approximately 11 percentage points.