There are two U.S. House races in Los Angeles County that are considered battleground territories, the outcomes of which could determine whether Democrats or Republicans will control the House.
In both races, the incumbents are Republicans, but Democrats are hoping to flip the seats blue.
The first of these two hotly contested races is the 27th Congressional District, which includes northern L.A. County’s Antelope Valley. There, Republican Rep. Mike Garcia is in a tight race against Democratic challenger George Whitesides. And in the 45th District, which includes parts of southeast L.A. County and northeastern Orange County, Republican Rep. Michelle Steel is facing tough competition from Democrat Derek Tran.
While these two races have dominated headlines, there are more than a dozen House races this election cycle that voters in L.A. County will help decide.
Here’s a rundown of the races appearing on the Nov. 5 ballot:
Congressional District 23: Republican incumbent Rep. Jay Obernolte, elected to Congress in 2020, will face off once again against Democratic community organizer Derek Marshall. Marshall was Obernolte’s only challenger in the primary. The winner will represent the Inland Empire’s desert communities between the Antelope Valley and the Nevada border, including a small corner of L.A. County.
Congressional District 26: Democratic incumbent Rep. Julia Brownley is running against Republican health care investigator Michael Koslow. Brownley was first elected to Congress in 2012 after serving in the Assembly. Koslow served in the military for more than three decades. The winner will represent Ventura County’s southern coast, as well as Agoura, Calabasas and Westlake Village in L.A. County.
Congressional District 27: Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia, a former fighter pilot who was first elected to Congress in 2020, is in a tough battle with Democratic challenger and former NASA chief of staff George Whitesides. Garcia has said voters care about national and local security while Whitesides has said that women’s reproductive health issues are on the ballot this election. The winner will represent parts of northern L.A. County, including the high desert communities of Lancaster, Palmdale and Santa Clarita.
Congressional District 28: Democratic incumbent Rep. Judy Chu is running against Arcadia City Councilmember April Verlato, a Republican. Chu has been in Congress since 2009. Verlato served as the mayor of Arcadia up until this summer. Both women are vying to represent Pasadena as well as the San Gabriel Valley communities of Alhambra, Monterey Park, Altadena and Arcadia.
Congressional District 29: Democratic Assemblymember Luz Maria Rivas is running against Republican Benito Benny Bernal, a former school bus driver. The winner will replace retiring Rep. Tony Cárdenas and will represent the north central San Fernando Valley, including the communities of Sylmar, Pacoima and Panorama City.
Congressional District 30: Democratic Assemblymember Laura Friedman is up against Republican Alex Balekian, an ICU physician, in this race to succeed Rep. Adam Schiff, who did not seek reelection because he is running for a U.S. Senate seat. Friedman and Balekian were the top two vote-getters in the March primary, which saw a crowded field of 15 candidates. The winner will represent an area that includes Hollywood, West Hollywood, Burbank and Glendale.
Congressional District 31: Former Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros is running against Republican attorney Daniel Jose Bocic Martinez. They were the top two vote-getters out of 10 candidates in the March primary race. The winner of this San Gabriel Valley seat will replace longtime Rep. Grace Napolitano. The district consists of several cities including Azusa, El Monte, West Covina and Baldwin Park.
Congressional District 32: Democratic incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman is running against Republican Larry Thompson, a talent manager, film producer and entertainment attorney. Sherman has been in Congress since 1997 and is serving his 14th term. In 2020, Thompson waged an unsuccessful bid for the 37th Congressional seat. The district includes Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Encino and Northridge.
Congressional District 34: Democratic incumbent Rep. Jimmy Gomez is up against children’s court attorney David Kim, another Democrat. Gomez has been in Congress since 2017. Kim previously served on his local neighborhood council. The two are vying to represent a portion of the city of Los Angeles that includes Koreatown, Westlake, Boyle Heights and Downtown L.A.
Congressional District 35: Democratic incumbent Rep. Norma Torres is facing off against Republican businessman Mike Cargile. Torres is completing her fifth term in Congress and previously served in the state Senate. Cargile has worked as a writer, actor, director, producer, editor and a marketing director. The winner will represent Pomona in L.A. County and Chino, Fontana, Montclair and Ontario in the Inland Empire.
Congressional District 36: Democratic incumbent Rep. Ted Lieu is running against Republican investigative journalist Melissa Toomim. Lieu is in his fifth term in Congress. Toomim, on her website, pledged to “always vote to support Israel.” The winner of this race will represent West L.A. and the South Bay.
Congressional District 37: Democratic incumbent Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove is facing a challenge from train mechanic Juan Rey, a “no party preference” candidate. The winner will represent Southwest L.A., including the communities of Jefferson Heights, Pico-Robertson, Crenshaw and Culver City.
Congressional District 38: Democratic incumbent Rep. Linda Sánchez is being challenged by Walnut City Councilmember Eric Ching, a Republican. Sánchez was first elected to Congress in 2002. Ching has been on the Walnut City Council since 2012 and previously served as mayor. The winner will represent part of the San Gabriel Valley and Southeastern L.A., including the cities of Norwalk, Whittier, Montebello and Pico Rivera.
Congressional District 42: Democratic incumbent Rep. Robert Garcia is facing a challenge from Republican business owner John Briscoe. Garcia served two terms as mayor of Long Beach before being elected to Congress in 2022. Briscoe twice won election to the Ocean View School District Board of Trustees. The two candidates are vying to represent communities that include Long Beach, Bell, Huntington Gardens and Avalon.
Congressional District 43: Democratic incumbent Rep. Maxine Waters is up against Republican Steve Williams, a commercial real estate broker. Waters served in the Assembly for 14 years before she was elected to Congress in 1990. Before going into the real estate industry, Williams worked with internet startups during the dot-com era. The winner will represent South L.A., including Inglewood, Gardena, Hawthorne and Compton.
Congressional District 44: It’s a rematch between Democratic incumbent Rep. Nanette Barragán, who was first elected to Congress in 2016, and her Republican challenger Roger Groh. The two also faced off during the two-person primary race in March. The winner will represent South L.A. and the Harbor Area, including the communities of Carson, Lynwood and San Pedro.
Congressional District 45: Republican incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel is facing stiff competition from Democratic attorney Derek Tran in this battleground race. Steel made history as one of the first Korean American women in Congress when she was first elected in 2020. Tran is a political newcomer who hopes to become the first Vietnamese American to represent Orange County’s Little Saigon. District 45 represents Hawaiian Gardens and Artesia in southeastern L.A. County as well as parts of northeastern Orange County and is one of the few majority-Asian districts in the country.