Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) and Democrat George Whitesides are projected to advance to the November election in California’s 27th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ. 

Garcia will go head to head with Whitesides this fall, who was formerly a chief of staff at NASA and Virgin Galactic CEO. Garcia represents a southern California House seat that sits north of Los Angeles.  

Garcia, a former U.S. Naval officer, first entered Congress after winning a special election in May 2020 against Democrat Christy Smith to fill out the remainder of former Rep. Katie Hill’s (D-Calif.) seat in the 25th Congressional District. He won his first full term later that year in the same district against Smith by less than a percentage point.  

After redistricting, he faced off against Smith again, this time in the 27th Congressional District due to redistricting, and won by over 6 points.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Garcia’s seat as a “toss up,” though the seat would have gone for President Biden in 2020 by over 12 points.