George Whitesides | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's27th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Garcia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Thomas Whitesides (1974-03-03)March 3, 1974 (age 51) Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Loretta Hidalgo |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
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| Education | |
| Awards | NASA Distinguished Service Medal (2010) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
George Thomas Whitesides (born March 3, 1974)[1] is an American politician and businessman who has served as theU.S. representative forCalifornia's 27th congressional district since 2025. He was previously chief of staff atNASA and CEO ofVirgin Galactic.[2] He is a member of theDemocratic Party.
Whitesides' district covers northernLos Angeles County, and includesSanta Clarita,Palmdale,Lancaster, and parts of the northwesternSan Fernando Valley.
Whitesides was born on March 3, 1974, inMassachusetts.[3] He was raised inNewton with his brother.[4][1] His great-grandfather,James Breasted, was anegyptologist who coined the term "fertile crescent".[5][6] While growing up, Whitesides played ice hockey[4] and attendedNewton North High School, where he graduated in 1992.[7]
Whitesides went on to attendPrinceton University, where he studied at theWoodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, earning his bachelor's degree in 1996.[8][9] After graduating, he served for four years on Princeton'sBoard of Trustees.[10] He later earned anMPhil ingeographic information systems andremote sensing fromKing's College, Cambridge,[2] and was aFulbright Scholar inTunisia.[8][11]
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Whitesides began his career in the space sector, where he served as executive director of theNational Space Society from 2004 to 2008.[12] He also co-foundedYuri's Night, an annual celebration ofhuman spaceflight, alongside his wifeLoretta Hidalgo Whitesides.[13][8] During this period, he was named senior advisor toVirgin Galactic,Richard Branson's space tourism company.[14]
Whitesides worked on the 2008presidential transition ofBarack Obama.[15] After Obama took office, he was appointed chief of staff ofNASA,[8] where he served until 2010 under AdministratorCharles Bolden.[10][2] Upon his departure, he was awarded theNASA Distinguished Service Medal, the agency's highest award.[11][16]
After leaving NASA, Whitesides became Virgin Galactic's firstCEO and led the company for a decade.[8] He oversaw the development of commercialspaceflight vehicles and managed operations at theMojave Air and Space Port.[17] During this time, he also chaired the Reusable Launch Vehicle Working Group forCOMSTAC, the advisory committee for theFAA's Commercial Space Transportation Division.[8] Additionally, he served as a board member forAstronomers Without Borders and the Space Generation Foundation.[10][2] He announced in 2021 his departure as CEO of Virgin Galactic while remaining in an advisory role with the company.[18]
In December 2022, Whitesides co-sponsored a research parabolic flight with AstroAccess.[19]
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On February 22, 2023, Whitesides announced he was running forCalifornia's 27th congressional district in the2024 election as aDemocrat, challenging incumbent Republican congressmanMike Garcia.[20] As a first-time candidate without a legislative voting record, Republican opposition focused on theprogressive groups and candidates that contributed to his campaign, includingEquality California, which co-sponsored the controversial 2020 California Senate Bill 145 regarding judicial discretion in sex offender registration.[21]
Whitesides narrowly defeated Garcia in the general election on November 5, 2024, by around 8,000 votes.[22]
Whitesides was sworn into office on January 3, 2025.[23] During his first term, he was appointed to theHouse Armed Services Committee and theScience, Space, and Technology Committee.[24] In March 2025, he co-sponsored the bipartisan DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act, a bill introduced byNick Begich (R-AK), which passed the House and formalized collaboration between theDepartment of Energy and NASA to advance space exploration and energy innovation.[25]
During his first week in office, Whitesides returned toLos Angeles to assist with wildfire response efforts, helping coordinate on-the-ground outreach following theHurst Fire.[26] In response to the broader2025 Southern California wildfires, Whitesides – who had co-founded a wildfire prevention organization and emphasized urban wildfire risks during his campaign – co-sponsored the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which passed the House and aimed to improveforest management by easing environmental regulations and improving coordination of science-based fire prevention efforts across government agencies.[27]
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Whitesides'scommittee assignments for the119th Congress:[23]
Whitesides'scaucus memberships include:[1]
Whitesides is married toLoretta Hidalgo Whitesides, with whom he has two children.[1][2] He isEpiscopalian.[29]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Mike Garcia (incumbent) | 74,245 | 54.9 | |
| Democratic | George Whitesides | 44,391 | 32.8 | |
| Democratic | Steve Hill | 16,525 | 12.2 | |
| Total votes | 135,161 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | George Whitesides | 154,040 | 51.3 | |
| Republican | Mike Garcia (incumbent) | 146,050 | 48.7 | |
| Total votes | 300,090 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 27th congressional district 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 429th | Succeeded by |
Parent company:Virgin Group | |
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