Angela Gonzales-Torres will represent much of LA’s Eastside in Congress, according to the Associated Press.
Like the Los Angeles mayoral race, the 34th Congressional District fight pitted incumbent Democrat Jimmy Gomez against challenger Angela Gonzales-Torres, endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
Gomez conceded the race Wednesday afternoon and reflected on his nearly decade-long career in Congress, saying in a statement posted on Instagram, “I’m proud of what we accomplished for families like mine … I helped negotiate historic labor protections in our nation’s trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, and brought my colleagues together to fight for working parents and their children.”
He also thanked his staff and supporters, writing, “I’ll always be your neighbor. I’ll always be an organizer. And I’ll never stop fighting for the communities that have given me so much.”
The campaign echoed many of the points being debated across the city, like affordability and challenges to homeownership, and included pressing issues unique to the district, like what will come in the aftermath of the Lineage fire crisis.
But the contest emerged as much more than a test of whether a Democratic incumbent can overcome an attack from the left.
The House of Representatives’ Ethics Committee is investigating Gomez over allegations of inappropriate sexual contact. Gomez has disputed any claim of a nonconsensual relationship with a staffer but admitted he has made personal mistakes.
Gonzales-Torres called out the investigation in a clip from a speech posted to Instagram claiming her victory, saying, “We took on corporate donors and corruption and this apparent culture in Congress in which men appear to abuse their positions of power and abuse women. And I am sick of it. And so I’m ready for change.”
“It is an incredible honor to be elected as the next U.S. House Representative for Los Angeles,” Gonzales-Torres said in the post. “This is bigger than me—it’s about the people, the neighborhoods, and the voices that deserve to be heard. I’m ready to get to work.”
That investigation became fuel for Gonzales-Torres during her campaign, who promised more accountability for elected officials accused of such misconduct.
“Staffers help carry meaningful policies forward and should feel safe doing so,” she said in response to questions from The LA Local during the campaign. “Complaints should be investigated promptly, resolved transparently, and never buried.”
California’s 34th Congressional District is home to about 755,000 people and spans Los Angeles’ northern and eastern stretches from Eagle Rock and Highland Park, Chinatown and Boyle Heights and west through downtown and Koreatown.
Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra vacated the seat when he was appointed Attorney General in 2017. Gonzalez, who had previously served in the state assembly, seized it in a special election soon after, where he has remained since.
While he won his 2018 reelection bid soundly, earning 73% of the vote, following campaigns tightened with wins of about 51% in 2022 and 2024.
Gomez garnered 46% of the vote in the primary earlier this year, with Gonzalez-Torres taking second place with about 31%.
Gonzalez-Torres served on the Highland Park Neighborhood Council and worked in the Los Angeles mayor’s office and Metro’s Public Safety Advisory Committee before launching her bid for the CA-34.
