The race for the House of Representatives is heating up, with Republicans inching closer to a majority. In a significant development, Republican Rep. Mike Garcia has conceded his race for California’s 27th Congressional District to Democratic challenger George Whitesides. This concession narrows the path to a Democratic majority in the House, as the party now needs to sweep the most contested races to win power.
Despite Garcia’s concession, the Associated Press has yet to officially call the race for Whitesides. As of Tuesday morning, Whitesides holds a 2-point lead with 83% of the vote counted. This lead is made up of roughly 7,000 votes.
“Since the age of 18 I have served this beautiful country,” Garcia said in a statement. “Representing the people of California’s 27th Congressional District the last 4.5 years has been an honor of a lifetime.” Garcia expressed gratitude to his family, staff, and volunteers who worked tirelessly on his campaign.
In a phone call with Whitesides, Garcia congratulated him and assured a smooth transition of constituent case work packages to his team. Whitesides accepted Garcia’s concession on social media, thanking him for his years of service to the district and nation. He outlined his priorities for the district, including creating jobs, lowering costs, building safe communities, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and safeguarding reproductive freedom.
Garcia’s race was one of over a dozen House races still undecided. Republicans currently hold 214 seats, just four wins away from controlling the chamber. With several close races in the western U.S. and swing districts, including Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Maryland, New York, Maine, and Alaska, the race for the House remains tight.
House Speaker Mike Johnson appears poised to keep his role, while Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries faces a challenging path to a majority in the House. The outcome of these remaining races will determine the balance of power in the House of Representatives and shape the political landscape for the next two years.
