Two years ago, Republican Rep. Mike Garcia won reelection with about 53% of the vote in California's ever-competitive 27th District.
This year, with a significantly higher turnout anticipated in the Los Angeles County district, the latest survey conducted by the University of Southern California and CSU Center for Urban Politics and Policy shows Garcia trailing Democrat opponent Geoge Whitesides by a slim 48% to 46% margin.
The difference this time, state sources agree, is that Garcia previously faced State Assemblywoman Christy Smith, who had a decidedly liberal voting record.
In Whitesides, Garcia faces the head of a company that manufactures space vehicles. Whitesides appears to be a more moderate Democrat than Smith.
Garcia, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and decorated Navy combat pilot in Iraq, is an unabashed conservative who backs Donald Trump, supports tax cuts, and completing the border wall on the Mexican border.
"Mike Garcia's race is definitely too close to call," Jon Fleischman, editor of the Flash Report on California politics, told Newsmax. "I would rather be Garcia than Whitesides. Out of all of the California races, this one, in particular, may rest on the trend of the national campaign in the final week."
Garcia has received strong endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Daily News.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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