District: CA-27
Cook Political Ranking: Solid D
Performance Voter Index: D+6
Rep. George Whitesides was elected to serve California’s 27th Congressional district in 2024. Before running for Congress, Whitesides was the CEO of a spaceflight company and directly contributed to bringing more jobs to the district he now serves. CA-27 spans the Antelope and Santa Clarita Valley. This district is quite racially diverse with more than 65% of the district identifying as people of color.

In 2024, Whitesides defeated the Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia by more than 2 percentage points (7,950 votes). Garcia was first elected to this seat in 2020 during a special election following Rep. Katie Hill’s resignation. Whitesides’ candidacy changed the momentum for Democrats in this district. Whitesides’ fundraising was incredible, raising $10.6 million compared to the incumbent, Garcia’s $6.5 million. Outside spending in this district was a huge factor this cycle, with outside spending increasing by $20 million compared to 2022. In 2024, super PACs, national party committees, and other non-candidate groups spent more than $27 million in this race.