If the Democratic Party were to dream up the ideal candidate to challenge Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, a former Navy fighter pilot and business executive, for the 27th Congressional District they couldn’t have imagined someone much better than George Whitesides.
In a district that stretches from Santa Clarita to Lancaster and where aerospace is one of the leading industries, Whitesides has had a space-focused career in both the private and public sectors. He was chief of staff for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration during the Obama administration and later became chief executive of Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson’s commercial space company based in Mojave. That’s the job that brought him and his family to the Antelope Valley in 2012.
His resume, however impressive, is not the most compelling reason that voters should pick Whitesides on Nov. 5. He’s a smart, pragmatic Democrat whose goal in Congress is to work with colleagues, regardless of party, to address problems facing Americans. That’s an important trait for the next representative of this district. Traditionally this has been a safe seat for Republicans, but a shift in voter registration in recent years means Democrats have made some inroads. For example, President Biden won the district in 2020, but Gov. Gavin Newsom came in second in 2022.
Recently, the problem Whitesides has focused on is one that has plagued California: “megafires,” those massive wildfires such as the Camp fire that leveled the town of Paradise in 2018. In 2020, Whitesides left Virgin Galactic to co-found a new advocacy organization, Megafire Action, which focuses on pushing policies to prevent wildfires, harden homes in high-risk areas and use science to better fight fires. He plans to turn what he has learned into legislation dealing with related issues such as the insurance crisis, wildlands management and incentivizing homeowners to make their properties more fire-resilient.
But most important, he’s the only candidate in the race who will fight to protect two cherished, fundamental rights that have been under attack in recent years: the right of women to control their own bodies and the right to cast a vote in a free and fair election.
Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Santa Clarita) is one of the lawmakers working to undermine those rights. When he won the seat in a special election in 2020 after Democrat Katie Hill resigned in the wake of a sex scandal, Garcia was a political unknown with an appealing record of military service, a business-friendly platform, and real-world experience in real estate and as an executive at Raytheon.
But his votes quickly revealed that Garcia is no moderate. After the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, he voted against certifying the election results. He co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, a bill that would have banned abortion nationally, with no exceptions including saving the life of the woman. He even voted against a bill protecting the right to birth control. If voters send him back to Congress, Garcia will be a reliable vote for restrictions on reproductive rights.
He also appears to have adopted Donald Trump’s penchant for misrepresenting the truth. In his first campaign ad this election, Garcia boasts that he co-sponsored the Violence Against Women Act to protect women against domestic violence. What he co-sponsored was a sham version put forward by Republicans to derail the Democrats’ bill to re-authorize the 1994 law with expanded protections for LGBTQ+ people and firearm restrictions for people convicted of domestic abuse. Fortunately, the tactic did not work and the updated law passed — without Garcia’s vote.
Whitesides also identifies as a business-friendly moderate, specifically a “New Democrat.” This coalition of centrist members say they are focused on innovative solutions and working across the aisle. Furthermore, he has a record of building the kinds of bridges he wants to see in Congress.
Early in the COVID pandemic, Whitesides helped organize local aerospace leaders to work with hospitals and local government to provide front-line healthcare workers with resources. The group, which eventually became the Antelope Valley COVID Task Force, even tapped its engineering skills to develop medical gear such as oxygen hoods that helped COVID patients breathe. Anyone can cast a vote on party lines. But being able to build alliances is critical skill to accomplish anything in Congress.
Whitesides says he’s running to build a better future for his two kids. “I don’t want to leave them with a government that doesn’t work. I don’t want to leave them with a climate that’s in crisis. I don’t want to leave them with a gun safety epidemic.”
Nor do we. It’s time for a change of leadership in the 27th Congressional District.
