EXCLUSIVE: Republican military veteran Rep. Mike Garcia brushes off “exterior and progressive policy failure” after nervous Democrats drained campaign dollars from his Los Angeles County district
- Rep. Mike Garcia is the only Republican in the House of Representatives to represent a portion of Greater Los Angeles in his seat in California’s 27th congressional district
- Garcia is a conservative former Navy pilot and military contractor
- He has long been considered one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the House of Representatives
- A recent surge in GOP momentum less than two weeks before Election Day has forecast his seat from a toss-up to a likely Republican
- The House Majority PAC, hosted by Nancy Pelosi, pulled more than $2 million in funds from Garcia’s territory
- “Our campaign has been focused on the same priorities since day one,” Garcia’s campaign told in a statement on Thursday
California Republican Rep. Mike Garcia shrugs at “outside noise and progressive policy failure,” his campaign told on Thursday after Democrats priced more than $2 million in medium-term TV spending in his district had reversed.
Garcia, a former Navy pilot, is the only Republican representing any portion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
He was considered one of the most vulnerable members of the House GOP this election cycle for months, until recently as the Republican Party picked up momentum nationwide in federal and state elections.
With more polls pointing to a larger profit margin for Republicans than previously thought, and the midterms less than two weeks away, Democrats appear to be consolidating funds in areas where their odds are higher.
One of the areas they are closing their coffers for is reportedly Los Angeles County.
The House Majority PAC, hosted by Nancy Pelosi, is taking $2.2 million out of that TV market, Politico reported last week.
When asked about the campaign’s response on Thursday, Garcia spokesman Ben Williamson told that the California Conservative will remain “focused” on his message ahead of Election Day on Nov. 8.
California Rep. Mike Garcia’s re-election appears to have picked up some serious momentum in recent weeks as the GOP appears poised to sprint to the Nov. 8 finish line with better-than-expected earnings
“Our campaign has focused on the same priorities since day one: security, upholding the Constitution, working hard, serving our constituents and fighting to keep this nation the greatest the planet has ever seen,” he said.
“That will never change, regardless of outside noise or ongoing policy failure.”
He is challenged by Democrat Christy Smith, who narrowly lost to Garcia in 2020
While Garcia’s district has historically anchored Republican presence in Los Angeles County, shifting political tides and a pro-Democrat redistribution map have put the area in solid toss-up territory for months of campaigning.
But now, even though President Joe Biden won the district by more than 10 points in 2020, Garcia seems poised to keep his seat after all.
Politico shifted its forecast for the district from “toss-up” to “lean Republican” on Thursday.
It’s part of a broader trend of counties in California, Oregon, New York and other parts of the country being particularly hard hit by COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and higher crime rates, leading to an uphill battle for the 11th hour Democrats become the campaign cycle.
His opponent, Democrat Christy Smith, was a California congressman who narrowly lost to Garcia in 2020.
She has attempted to link him to Donald Trump by voting the congressman to overturn the 2020 election results and has campaigned against his conservative views on abortion.
The House Majority PAC, allied with Nancy Pelosi, recently withdrew its money from the race, a sign of Democrats’ low expectations
In addition to his accomplishments in Congress and his time in the military and as a military contractor, Garcia has largely followed a GOP playbook set for candidates in politically moderate areas.
These include Democrats’ pounding on the economy and rising crime rates, both issues that likely voters continue to hold dear, multiple polls suggest.
A recent ABC News poll shows that Republicans lead in voter preferences in addressing both issues.
Despite a surge in voter energy over the summer when the Supreme Court ruled Roe v. Wade lifted, Democrats largely faced a bleak outlook for maintaining their razor-thin control of Congress.
Garcia’s race in California’s 27th congressional district is likely to be one of the deciding factors.