Candidate · November 3, 2026

George Whitesides

On the ballot for U.S. House · California's 27th District

DemocraticIncumbent
raised through Oct 14, 2026
$4.5M
cash on hand
$2.2M
issues with public statements
11
outside spending for or against
$1.1M

§1On the ballot

Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.

OfficeU.S. House · California's 27th District1
Party on the ballotDemocratic1,2
StatusIncumbent — Currently represents California's 27th District in the U.S. House.3
How it's decidedUnder California's top-two system, only the two candidates who received the most votes in the June 2, 2026, primary, regardless of party preference, appear on this general-election ballot.1,4
Also on the ballot

§2Who they are

Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

George Whitesides worked on President Obama's transition team in 2008 and then served as NASA's chief of staff, receiving the agency's Distinguished Service Medal.5 He was the first CEO of Virgin Galactic, which his campaign website says grew over a decade and created 700 jobs in the Antelope Valley.5 He co-founded Megafire Action, an organization focused on the nation's wildfire crisis, and co-chaired the Antelope Valley Covid-19 Task Force.5 He was elected to Congress in 2024 and is serving his first term; he and his wife, Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, have two children.5,6

Why they say they're running

His campaign website says he is running for re-election to keep creating jobs and expanding opportunity in the district, and lists lowering costs, making housing more affordable, defending Social Security and Medicare, tackling the wildfire crisis and fighting corruption among his priorities.6

Service in Congress since 2023

  • 2025–nowU.S. Representative, CA-273

Websites and accounts

§3What they've said on the issues

Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.

Elections and Government Reform

Stock trading by members of Congress

His campaign website says he is leading efforts to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks, and that he sold his own stock holdings after taking office.8

Abortion and Reproductive Health

Who sets abortion law

His campaign website says he is a cosponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says would codify Roe v. Wade.8

  1. A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade
  2. Leave abortion law to each state
  3. A national law limiting abortion (for example, after 15 weeks of pregnancy)
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Taxes and Budget

State and local tax (SALT) deduction

His campaign website says he has worked to cut taxes for the middle class by expanding the state and local tax (SALT) deduction.8

Business tax breaks

His campaign website says he is advocating tax incentives and grants for small businesses and startups and more investment in research and development.8

Health Care

Federal Medicaid funding

His campaign website says he voted against a Republican budget that it says would cut Medicaid for hundreds of thousands of Californians.8

Family and Social Policy

Food assistance (SNAP)

His campaign website says he voted against a budget that it says would reduce food assistance for families.8

Immigration

Immigration enforcement inside the country

His campaign website says he has stood up against what it calls ICE's abuse of power and voted against a budget that would sharply increase ICE funding.8

Border wall and barriers

His campaign website says the border should be secured with advanced technology, more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges, upgraded ports of entry, and physical barriers where they make sense.8

  1. Build walls or fencing along much more of the border
  2. Add barriers only in selected places, relying mainly on technology and agents
  3. Build no new barriers and spend the money on other border security
Marked: the option their statement matches.

Environment and Public Lands

Wildfire prevention and forest management

His campaign website says he has worked to reduce fuels in wildland areas, increase resources for firefighters, use new technology to detect fires faster, and make fire-resistant home improvements easier.8

Technology, Privacy and AI

Children and social media

His campaign website says he is working on research into social media's effects on teen mental health, partnerships with technology companies on online safety measures, and digital literacy programs in schools.8

Economy, Jobs and Trade

Cryptocurrency rules

His campaign website says he supports cryptocurrency regulations that protect consumers while encouraging innovation and competition.8

§4Popular bills that never got a vote

Why this matters: Many bills with wide support from both parties never reach a vote, so no member of Congress is ever on record for or against them. Signing on as a sponsor or cosponsor is the only public record of support.

While George Whitesides served, these bills had broad support from both parties but never reached a floor vote. No officeholder ever had to vote on them. George Whitesides sponsored or cosponsored 16 of the 26. How bills die without a vote.

See all 26

§5Money

Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.

Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.35

Raised$4,512,697
Spent$2,665,773
Cash on hand$2,173,658
Debts owed by the campaign$1,310,000

Where the money came from

Individual donors$3.2M · 70%
PACs and other political committees$751K · 17%
Political party committees$6,911 · 0%
Transfers from the candidate's other committees$490K · 11%
Other receipts (other loans, refunds, interest)$96K · 2%

Outside spending

Groups spending independently reported $1,074,903 supporting and $0 opposing George Whitesides this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through May 28, 2026.36

Largest independent spenders, as named in their FEC filings.
GroupSupportingOpposing
LCV Victory Fund$598,649—
Protect Progress$476,254—

Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.

§6Financial disclosures

Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.