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Your guide to the California Congressional District 27 race: Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley

After narrowly defeating a Republican incumbent in 2024, Rep. George Whitesides now faces less of a battle defending his Santa Clarita Valley seat — not only because he holds the power of incumbency, but also because his district was redrawn under Proposition 50.

The northern L.A. County district, which encompasses much of the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys, went from being a toss-up seat in 2024 to a solidly Democratic one this election cycle, according to the Cook Political Report. Through the redistricting process, it lost red voters in areas of Acton and Agua Dulce and gained blue voters in the the northwest San Fernando Valley.

And although Whitesides no longer will be attempting to flip a seat, he nonetheless faces challengers from both the Democratic and Republican parties seeking to represent this urban and High Desert district, which is home to major aerospace bases and logistics warehouses.

Who are the candidates?

Jason Gibbs: Republican, Santa Clarita City Council member, mechanical engineer

Gibbs has been a member of the Santa Clarita City Council since 2020 and was chosen by his peers to serve as the city's mayor in 2023. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering at Cal Poly and went on to work in the aerospace industry, according to his campaign website. He has lived in Santa Clarita for nearly a decade while raising two young children, his bio says, and has served on the local boards of the Boys and Girls Club, the Valley Industry Assn. and the Salvation Army.

George Whitesides: Democrat, incumbent

Whitesides defeated Republican incumbent Mike Garcia to represent the 27th Congressional District in 2024. Whitesides worked on President Obama’s transition team in 2008 and served as NASA chief of staff during the Obama administration, according to his campaign bio. He was the first chief executive of Virgin Galactic, co-founded Megafire Action, a nonprofit that advocates for legislation to address the growing problem of massive wildfires, and was a board member for the Antelope Valley Economic Development and Growth Enterprise, his bio says.

Others:

Roberto Ramos: Democrat, Marine veteran, UCLA master's student
Caleb Norwood: Democrat, college student

A representative for David Neidhart, a Republican candidate, said he has withdrawn from the race. His name still will appear on the ballot.

Where they stand on creating local jobs, reducing commutes

The 27th Congressional District is one of the largest commuter regions in America, with many families moving to the area for affordable housing, then spending several hours a day driving to and from work in metro Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Whitesides touted his success in bringing home federal funding for community colleges, job training programs, transportation improvements, support for aerospace companies, road improvements in the Antelope Valley and a rail modernization project. Gibbs said he would fight for federal investments to improve the Interstate 5 and Highway 14 corridors as well as policies that encourage businesses to move to the district and create high-quality jobs for local families.

Where they stand on immigration

Gibbs called the U.S. immigration system broken and in need of serious reform, saying the federal government should focus on securing the border, removing dangerous criminals and reducing visa backlogs. Whitesides said he supports commonsense reforms that secure the border while providing legal pathways to citizenship, especially for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

Where they stand on the Trump administration

Gibbs said he supports President Trump's efforts to strengthen the economy, reduce taxes for working families, secure the border and take action against Iran's funding of terrorist groups and efforts to pursue nuclear weapons. He said Trump's tariffs could have negative short-term effects by raising the cost of imported goods, but added that they were intended to address such serious long-term problems as unfair trade practices and the outsourcing of critical industries.

Whitesides decried Trump's policies that "raise costs, kick Americans off of healthcare, allow poorly trained ICE agents to violate people’s rights, dismantle science, and threaten our allies around the world." He said Iran is a dangerous regime that cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons but emphasized that taking unilateral military action without congressional authorization is unconstitutional. He said small-business owners in his district are struggling to keep their doors open because of Trump's tariffs.