BIOGUIDE W000830 · FEC H4CA27111
George Whitesides
U.S. Representative, CA-27 (since 2025)DINCUMBENT
- Race
- U.S. House · California's 27th District
- Result
- George Whitesides, projected winner
- Opponent
- Jason Gibbs (R)
- Research
- Basic
Party line16 votes tracked
Broke with Democrats on
- CLARITY Act — digital asset market structure voted yes
- GENIUS Act — stablecoin regulation voted yes
With party = voted the same way as most Democrats who voted.
Said vs. did6 statements · 16 votes
Everyone should have the right to make their own healthcare decisions, including those related to reproductive health and abortion access, free from government interference.
Protect legal access to abortion
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotU.S. House · 27
2026-11-03
| George Whitesides D | incumbent |
| Jason Gibbs R | challenger |
Advanced from the June 2, 2026 primary
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
Everyone should have the right to make their own healthcare decisions, including those related to reproductive health and abortion access, free from government interference.
Supports legal abortion access, cosponsors federal legislation to codify Roe v. Wade, and lists defending reproductive rights among his priorities.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
He's fought to protect health coverage for seniors, children, and people with disabilities
Opposed a Republican budget that would have cut Medicaid coverage and says he has fought to protect health coverage for seniors, children, and people with disabilities.[4]
finally securing our border with investments in advanced technology, hiring more border patrol agents and immigration judges, upgrading ports of entry, and building physical infrastructure where it makes sense
Supports more border patrol agents, immigration judges, and port-of-entry upgrades, but voted against a Republican budget that dramatically increased ICE funding alongside Medicaid and food-assistance cuts.[4]
George has brought back millions in federal funding for local law enforcement, so they can invest in new technology and enhance public safety.
Says he has brought federal funding back to local law enforcement agencies to support public safety.[4]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Cosponsored H.R. 3115, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025, and H.R. 18, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2025 (119th Congress).
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Cosponsored H.R. 407, the Prevent Tariff Abuse Act, which excludes the imposition of duties and import quotas from the President's authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (119th Congress).
Documented position[10]
- YESResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11), which disapproved the tariffs on Canadian imports.[11]
1 of 1 vote point the same way as the statement
No statement on this issue in our sources.
- NOSAVE Act (H.R. 22, 2025-04-10).[12]
No statement on this issue in our sources.
No statement on this issue in our sources.
No statement on this issue in our sources.
- YESWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela (H. Con. Res. 64, 2025-12-17), which would have directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Venezuela absent congressional authorization.[13]
- YESWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities (H. Con. Res. 86, 2026-06-03), which directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran absent congressional authorization.[14]
Biography
Democrat George Whitesides is the U.S. Representative for California's 27th District and won re-election on November 3, 2026, according to unofficial results. Before Congress he was chief of staff at NASA during the Obama administration and the first CEO of Virgin Galactic, and he co-founded a nonprofit focused on wildfires and home insurance. He first won the seat in 2024 and serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Whitesides was born in Massachusetts in 1974.[3] He earned a bachelor's degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University in 1996 and a master's degree in remote sensing and GIS from the University of Cambridge in 2000.[3]
Whitesides served as chief of staff at NASA during the Obama administration, and his official biography says he received NASA's Distinguished Service Medal for his contributions.[3][2] He then became the first CEO of Virgin Galactic, which he led for about a decade; according to his official biography, the company created over 700 jobs in the Antelope Valley during that time.[3][2] He co-founded Megafire Action, a nonprofit focused on wildfire response and home insurance issues.[3][2]
Locally, Whitesides co-chaired the Antelope Valley COVID-19 Task Force, work his official biography says earned NASA's Exceptional Public Achievement Medal, and served on the board of AV EDGE (Antelope Valley Economic Development and Growth Enterprise).[3][2] He was elected to the U.S. House in 2024, and in the 119th Congress he sits on the Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, where his office describes him as Vice Ranking Member.[3][2] According to his official biography, he and his wife, Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, have been married for nearly 20 years and have two children.[2] He won the November 3, 2026 general election with 64% of the vote to Jason Gibbs's 36%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]
Recent votes
| Date | Party line | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-03 | With partyvoted yes | War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilitiesH. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · roll call ↗Democrats 211–1 · Republicans 4–207 |
| 2026-02-11 | With partyvoted yes | Resolution disapproving tariffs on CanadaH.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · roll call ↗Democrats 213–1 · Republicans 6–210 |
| 2026-02-03 | With partyvoted no | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government fundingH.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · roll call ↗Democrats 21–193 · Republicans 196–21 |
| 2026-01-08 | With partyvoted yes | Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extensionH.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · roll call ↗Democrats 213–0 · Republicans 17–196 |
| 2025-12-17 | With partyvoted yes | War Powers Resolution on VenezuelaH. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · roll call ↗Democrats 208–1 · Republicans 3–212 |
| 2025-12-10 | With partyvoted yes | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passageS. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · roll call ↗Democrats 115–94 · Republicans 197–18 |
| 2025-11-18 | With partyvoted yes | Epstein Files Transparency ActH.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · roll call ↗Democrats 211–0 · Republicans 216–1 |
| 2025-11-12 | With partyvoted no | Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending voteH.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · roll call ↗Democrats 6–207 · Republicans 216–2 |
Showing the 8 most recent of 16 votes.
All 16 recorded votes
| Date | Party line | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-03 | With partyvoted yes | War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilitiesH. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · roll call ↗Democrats 211–1 · Republicans 4–207The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans. |
| 2026-02-11 | With partyvoted yes | Resolution disapproving tariffs on CanadaH.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · roll call ↗Democrats 213–1 · Republicans 6–210The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy. |
| 2026-02-03 | With partyvoted no | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government fundingH.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · roll call ↗Democrats 21–193 · Republicans 196–21The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026. |
| 2026-01-08 | With partyvoted yes | Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extensionH.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · roll call ↗Democrats 213–0 · Republicans 17–196The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans. |
| 2025-12-17 | With partyvoted yes | War Powers Resolution on VenezuelaH. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · roll call ↗Democrats 208–1 · Republicans 3–212The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region. |
| 2025-12-10 | With partyvoted yes | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passageS. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · roll call ↗Democrats 115–94 · Republicans 197–18The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year. |
| 2025-11-18 | With partyvoted yes | Epstein Files Transparency ActH.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · roll call ↗Democrats 211–0 · Republicans 216–1The bill directs the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing redactions to protect victim identities, ongoing investigations, and law enforcement techniques. It passed with near-unanimous support. |
| 2025-11-12 | With partyvoted no | Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending voteH.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · roll call ↗Democrats 6–207 · Republicans 216–2The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. It also reversed shutdown-related federal layoffs and funded SNAP benefits retroactively. |
| 2025-07-17 | Against partyvoted yes | CLARITY Act — digital asset market structureH.R. 3633 · Passed 294–134 · roll call ↗Democrats 78–134 · Republicans 216–0The CLARITY Act creates a regulatory framework dividing oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It sets registration and disclosure requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital-asset intermediaries. |
| 2025-07-17 | Against partyvoted yes | GENIUS Act — stablecoin regulationS. 1582 · Passed 308–122 · roll call ↗Democrats 102–110 · Republicans 206–12The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and to comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation enacted into federal law. |
| 2025-07-03 | With partyvoted no | One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passageH.R. 1 · Passed 218–214 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–212 · Republicans 218–2H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and raises the cap on state and local tax deductions. It increases border security and defense spending while cutting projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adding new work requirements; President Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025. |
| 2025-06-12 | With partyvoted no | Rescissions Act of 2025H.R. 4 · Passed 214–212 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–208 · Republicans 214–4The Rescissions Act canceled about $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, mostly for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was the first rescissions package Congress had approved in decades. |
| 2025-05-22 | With partyvoted no | One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passageH.R. 1 · Passed 215–214 · roll call ↗Democrats 0–212 · Republicans 215–2H.R. 1 extends and modifies the 2017 individual and business tax cuts, creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay, and increases spending on border security and defense. It also reduces projected spending on Medicaid and food-assistance programs and adds new work requirements for some recipients. |
| 2025-04-10 | With partyvoted no | SAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registrationH.R. 22 · Passed 220–208 · roll call ↗Democrats 4–208 · Republicans 216–0The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. It also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens identified on voter rolls. |
| 2025-03-11 | With partyvoted no | Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025H.R. 1968 · Passed 217–213 · roll call ↗Democrats 1–212 · Republicans 216–1The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown ahead of a March 14 deadline. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations. |
| 2025-01-22 | No votevoted didn't vote | Laken Riley Act — final passageS. 5 · Passed 263–156 · roll call ↗Democrats 46–156 · Republicans 217–0The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions. |
On the record
Official actions: bills, executive acts, filings and court records.
- actionServes on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee) and the House Committee on Armed Services (Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee; Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee; Strategic Forces Subcommittee) in the 119th Congress (2025-2026).[15]
In their own words
Priorities
- Congressman Whitesides is fighting to protect access to high-quality, affordable health care, support our local hospitals, and defend reproductive rights.[16]
- He is committed to bringing transparency to Washington, taking on corruption, and ensuring that his constituents’ needs are what guide every decision.[16]
- Congressman Whitesides is deeply committed to safeguarding our communities from catastrophic wildfires and addressing the home fire insurance crisis.[16]
Campaign money$4.0M raised · 82% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30
Totals this cycle
Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.
Who gave
- Individuals $2.8M
- PACs & committees $629K
- Party $6,895
Largest committee contributions
- NEA Fund for Children and Public Education PAC$10K
- PAC to the Future PAC$10K
- Employees of Northrop Grumman Corporation PAC PAC$10K
- Ameripac: the Fund for a Greater America PAC$10K
- Fair Shot PAC PAC$10K
- American Federation of State County & Municipal Employees P E O P L E PAC$10K
- Bwx Technologies, Inc Political Action Committee PAC$10K
- Lockheed Martin Corporation Employees' Political Action Committee PAC$10K
- American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education PAC$10K
- American Crystal Sugar Company Political Action Committee PAC$10K
Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗
Profile: /people/george-whitesides
Where they stood out
Voted against most of their party on 40 of 461 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Rights & public safety (19), Jobs & cost of living (9), Foreign affairs & defense (7)
Amendment (Massie) to H.R. 8595 — Making appropriations for national security, Department of State, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes.
A yes vote supported an H.R. 8595 amendment that bars funds in the bill from being used for Israel and cuts the Foreign Military Financing account by $3.3 billion. (AI-written)
What it does: National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027 This bill provides FY2027 appropriations for national security, the Department of State, and related programs.
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 103–98, Republicans 1–215
Jul 15, 2026Official record ↗
Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act
What it does: Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026 This bill expands specified benefits programs for veterans and their survivors and establishes a supplemental monthly allowance for certain disa…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 30–176, Republicans 204–3
May 21, 2026Official record ↗
Cashless Bail Reporting Act
What it does: Cashless Bail Reporting Act This bill requires the Department of Justice to publish annually a list of state and local governments that permit individuals who are charged with certain criminal offenses that pose a cle…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 96–114, Republicans 211–2
May 14, 2026Official record ↗
Their votes on the most contested roll calls
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
- No
With most of their party · Passed 214–212 · Yes 214–No 212 · Democrats 0–211, Republicans 214–0
Jun 9, 2026Official record ↗
- Yes
Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act
With most of their party · Failed 214–217 · Yes 214–No 217 · Democrats 214–0, Republicans 0–216
Feb 11, 2026Official record ↗
- No
With most of their party · Passed 217–215 · Yes 217–No 215 · Democrats 0–214, Republicans 216–1
Feb 25, 2025Official record ↗
- Yes
With most of their party · Failed 215–215 · Yes 215–No 215 · Democrats 213–0, Republicans 2–214
Jan 22, 2026Official record ↗
- Yes
With most of their party · Failed 213–213 · Yes 213–No 213 · Democrats 211–0, Republicans 2–212
Jun 4, 2025Official record ↗
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.California's 27th District election results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 2.About George Whitesides · Office of Rep. George Whitesides Official record
- 3.George Whitesides · Ballotpedia Reference
- 4.On the Issues · George Whitesides for Congress Candidate's own words
- 5.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
- 6.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
- 7.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
- 8.H.R. 3115, Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 · Congress.gov Official record
- 9.H.R. 18, Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2025 · Congress.gov Official record
- 10.H.R. 407, Prevent Tariff Abuse Act · Congress.gov Official record
- 11.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record
- 12.Roll call: SAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-04-10 Official record
- 13.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-12-17 Official record
- 14.Roll call: War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-06-03 Official record
- 15.George Whitesides · Ballotpedia Reference
- 16.Issues · Office of Rep. George Whitesides Official record