Congratulations to George Whitesides for his hard-fought victory in his race for Congress. George and his wife, Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, have not only been long time friends of everyone striving for a spacefaring future for humanity, but they have also been leaders in the field themselves. Furthermore, and most importantly, they are fine people, with great minds and great hearts. All Americans have reason to be thankful they will be going to Washington. – Dr. Robert Zubrin, Mars Society President & Founder
Democrat George Whitesides ousts GOP Rep. Mike Garcia from Los Angeles House seat
Politico – By Melanie Mason, 11.11.24
George Whitesides has defeated three-term GOP Rep. Mike Garcia, flipping a long-coveted Los Angeles area House seat to the Democrats’ column.
Garcia — who conceded the race Monday — was a top target for multiple cycles, given the Democrats’ 10-point registration advantage in the district and his conservative votes in the House. But he had proven surprisingly durable in the blue-leaning seat, leaning on his fighter-jet pilot past to appeal to voters in a district dominated by aerospace.
This time, Democrats were able to successfully use Garcia’s record against him, particularly as they hammered him on his past support for a national abortion ban.
The party also fielded a stronger challenger to take on Garcia. Whitesides, the former CEO of Virgin Galactic, delivered his own aerospace bona fides and a strong fundraising performance. He was aided by millions of dollars in spending from Democratic outside groups, a stark contrast from 2022 when they pulled out of the pricey Los Angeles media market in the closing weeks of the campaign.
