Whitesides, George

George Whitesides represents California's 27th congressional district, which covers northern Los Angeles County including Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and parts of the San Fernando Valley. He was sworn in on January 3, 2025, after narrowly defeating incumbent Republican Mike Garcia in November 2024. Born in Massachusetts in 1974, Whitesides earned a bachelor's degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University and a master's degree in remote sensing and geographic information systems from the University of Cambridge.

Before entering Congress, Whitesides built a career in the aerospace and space sectors. He served as chief of staff at NASA during the Obama administration, where he led agency reforms and received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. He then became the first CEO of Virgin Galactic, where he spent a decade growing the company and creating over 700 jobs in the Antelope Valley. He also co-founded Yuri's Night, an annual celebration of human spaceflight, and Megafire Action, an organization addressing wildfire prevention and response.

In Congress, Whitesides serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, where he holds the position of Vice Ranking Member. His committee work reflects his focus on defense, aerospace innovation, and space policy. He has championed provisions supporting local defense contractors, advanced aerospace development, and wildfire prevention technology. During his first term, he co-sponsored the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act and secured federal funding for housing affordability, job creation, and wildfire response capabilities in his district. His legislative priorities include lowering costs for constituents, creating jobs, and improving community safety and resilience.