Despite two previous losses, California Democrat Christy Smith wants another shot at winning a House seat in North Los Angeles.
Smith on Wednesday said she plans to run against Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, though she came up short against him in a May 2020 special election and in a rematch last November. In a campaign video, Smith lobbed a shot at Garcia and compared him to the rioters who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6.
REP. MIKE GARCIA WINS CALIFORNIA’S 25TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
“Last November, I lost the race for California’s 25th Congressional District by only 333 votes. That was the difference between our community having a representative who aligned himself with domestic terrorists — or one who aligns herself with American democracy,” Smith said.
“On January 6th, we saw the real Mike Garcia,” Smith said in the clip. “He sided with insurrectionists — and against the people of our community.”
Smith is a former California assemblywoman and last May sought to replace former Democratic Rep. Katie Hill, who had flipped the district in the 2018 Democratic wave. Hill resigned from office in November 2019 after nude photos of her were posted online. News stories described her relationship with a young female campaign staffer.
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Garcia, a Naval Academy graduate and former fighter pilot who later worked in the aerospace industry, proved a good fit for the district, which includes northern Los Angeles County and Ventura County. The district was a GOP stronghold for over 20 years, held mainly by Republican Buck McKeon and for two terms thereafter by his GOP successor, Steve Knight.
Garcia’s win proved a portend of a strong Republican year in House races, even as then-President Donald Trump lost reelection to Democratic President Joe Biden. Republicans picked up more than a dozen seats, significantly narrowing Democrats’ edge. There are now 219 Democrats in the House, with 211 Republicans, and five vacancies.
For 2022, though, the complexion of the district may look different due to redistricting. California is expected to lose a House seat for the first time ever due to lagging population growth. Going down one, to 52 seats, means some or many may be significantly redrawn by the state’s independent commission.
