Jimmy Gomez’s Re-Election Battle Tightens Amid Sexual-Misconduct Probe

Representative Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat who has served a heavily Latino, liberal Los Angeles district for nearly ten years, is now facing a competitive intraparty contest. The House Ethics Committee announced in August that it is investigating whether Gomez engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with a congressional aide. Gomez, 51, has denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged “personal mistakes” outside his marriage.

New York Times

California’s open-primary system advances the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party affiliation, allowing two Democrats to vie for the seat. Gomez’s challenger, Angela Gonzales-Torres, is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America and positions herself as an anti-establishment, progressive alternative. The race reflects a broader trend of progressive challengers confronting incumbent Democrats in safe, liberal districts.

New York Times

The Democracy and Fair Elections Lab at the University of Southern California released an independent poll this month. The survey found Gomez and Gonzales-Torres tied at 34 % support each among likely voters. When undecided voters were forced to choose, Gonzales-Torres led 51 % to Gomez’s 45 %. Respondents most frequently described the candidates in relation to the sexual-misconduct investigation.

New York Times

• Gomez’s campaign issued a statement asserting that the poll, conducted via email, likely missed voters who do not regularly use that medium.

New York Times

• Gonzales-Torres’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

New York Times

• The House Ethics Committee’s investigation remains ongoing; no formal findings have been released.

New York Times

• “It’s really a divide within progressives,” — Mr. Grose, a political science professor at U

New York Times

• “It’s not like a Joe Biden versus Bernie Sanders, it’s like Bernie Sanders versus AOC — it’s like which one is more of a progressive and an outsider.” — Mr. Grose, a political science professor at U

New York Times