In California’s 27th Congressional District, Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Santa Clarita) faces Democrat George Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff.
The closely fought race will be crucial in determining which party controls the U.S. House.
Democrats have a big registration advantage in the once staunchly conservative district. More than 40% of registered voters are Democrats; about 30% are Republicans. More than a fifth have no ties to any party.
The Garcia campaign did not respond to questions for this guide. The answers are drawn from his legislative history and public statements.
Who are the candidates?
Garcia first won his seat in a 2020 special election after Katie Hill — a millennial Democrat who ousted a Republican incumbent in 2018 — resigned amid a sex scandal. Garcia retained his seat in two subsequent elections. In all three elections he defeated the same Democratic rival, former Assemblywoman Christy Smith.
Garcia, 48, is a former Navy pilot and former executive at defense contractor Raytheon.
Whitesides, 50, is a first-time candidate and a longtime Democratic donor. As NASA Chief of Staff under President Obama, he was responsible for implementing the agency’s administrator’s policy agenda. He is the former CEO of Mojave-based Virgin Galactic and co-founder of Megafire Action, a nonprofit organization that aims to end so-called megafires that burn 100,000 acres or more.
Where is district 27 located?
The Northern District of Los Angeles County extends from Santa Clarita to the Kern County line. It includes the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as rural desert towns such as Acton and Pearblossom.
Abortion
Garcia was among 2021 Republican members of Congress who signed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to urge Roe vs. Wade undo. He then said abortion rights should be determined at the state level.
In 2021, he co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, which would amount to a nationwide abortion ban without exceptions. (Garcia later indicated he could support exceptions for rape, incest or threats to a woman’s health — a departure from the bill. He did not sponsor a reintroduced version.)
Whitesides supports including in federal law abortion rights previously guaranteed by Roe vs. Wade.
Immigration
Garcia’s late father was a Mexican immigrant who, Garcia has said, “came here legally” and “did well.” The congressman has called illegal immigration one of the country’s biggest security threats.
Garcia voted against creating a path to citizenship for so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. He said he wants to hire more Border Patrol agents and supports building a wall with video and infrared cameras to track people crossing the southern border.
Whitesides said he supports “securing our border with investments in advanced technology,” upgrading ports of entry, hiring more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges, and “building physical infrastructure where it makes sense.” The Whitesides campaign did not respond to questions about his position on Dreamers or others entering the country illegally, but he said he opposes “open borders.”
Guns
Garcia voted against a ban on assault weapons and improved background checks on gun purchases.
Whitesides said he supports expanded background checks and wants to “increase funding for local law enforcement so they can get more illegal guns off our streets and out of the hands of dangerous criminals.”
LGBTQ+ rights
Garcia was one of 39 House Republicans who joined all House Democrats in voting in 2022 for the Respect for Marriage Act, which federally codifies same-sex and interracial marriage. He voted against the Equality Act, which would ban anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in employment, housing and other areas.
Garcia has criticized a new California law that bans schools from enacting policies that require teachers to notify parents of changes in a student’s gender identity, such as if someone asks to be referred to by a different name or pronoun are mentioned.
Whitesides told The Times, “I don’t think who you love should affect your basic rights as an American.” His campaign noted Garcia’s vote against the Equality Act but did not respond to questions about Whitesides’ position on it. His campaign also did not respond to questions about California’s policy on student gender identity.
War in Gaza
This spring, Garcia voted in favor of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which reprimanded the Biden administration for interrupting an arms supply to Israel to pressure the Gaza city of Rafah. He also urged an “expeditious delivery” of weapons and security services and reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself.
“When I say my support for Israel is ‘rock-solid,’ I mean it,” Garcia said in a statement.
Whitesides said he supports continued assistance to Israel to defend itself and return hostages captured by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack. “Hamas is a terrorist organization that must be dismantled. They are not allowed to rule in Gaza or maintain their military capabilities,” he told The Times.
He said civilian casualties in Gaza must be reduced and that he would “support efforts to dismantle Hamas so that Israelis and Palestinians can negotiate a two-state solution and promote normalization between Israel and the rest of the region.”
Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election
Garcia voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election and impeaching then-President Trump for his role in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Whitesides heavily criticized Garcia’s objection to the 2020 election results, saying the “peaceful transition of power is one of the most sacred responsibilities of the United States Congress.”
Past coverage
Read more: Mike Garcia’s campaign releases misleading ads about House Republicans’ role in the Violence Against Women Act
Read more: Can Democrats unseat a three-times elected Republican congressman in this battleground LA County?
Read more: Congressman Mike Garcia of Santa Clarita says it’s his job to keep the U.S. from becoming California
How and where to vote
Read more racing guides for California
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
