Gonzales-Torres wins 58.7% of vote in Los Angeles House race

Angela Gonzales-Torres secured 58.7 percent of the vote in California's 34th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. She defeated incumbent Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who received 41.3 percent of the tally. These figures reflect 73 percent of the ballots counted as of the latest update.

Gomez held the seat for nearly ten years before losing in this all-Democratic contest. The race was shaped by a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against the congressman. CNN first reported the probe in June. Investigators later uncovered additional claims. The inquiry followed reports that Gomez was seen kissing a younger congressional aide in 2023. That aide did not work for him.

Gomez, who is married with one child and chairs the Congressional Dads Caucus, acknowledged making personal mistakes outside his marriage. He stated that these errors hurt his family. He maintained that any relationship was consensual and that he broke no House rules. He said he will cooperate with the committee. In April, he stepped down as chair of Rep. Eric Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign. He said Swalwell should leave the race so there can be full accountability amid allegations against him.

Gonzales-Torres is a Highland Park native who describes herself as the daughter of a deportee raised by a single mother. She previously served as president of the Historic Highland Park Neighborhood Council. She also served on Metro's Public Safety Advisory Committee. DSA-LA and Justice Democrats backed her candidacy. She pledged to refuse corporate and super PAC money.

Her platform included finishing the lead cleanup from the shuttered Exide battery plant and securing universal legal representation in immigration court. She also proposed a $25 minimum wage. Israel became a sharp dividing line in the race. Gonzales-Torres said she ran in part out of frustration over Gomez's refusal to support the Block the Bombs Act. That measure would restrict US weapons transfers.

Gomez, a former labor organizer and state Assembly member, won the seat in a 2017 special election. He replaced Xavier Becerra, who left to become state attorney general. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, he positioned himself as a progressive. He co-sponsored the College for All Act and spoke out against Trump administration immigration enforcement. Sen. Adam Schiff endorsed him.

The district includes Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Glassell Park. It is home to about 755,000 people. Roughly 65 percent of its residents are Latino. Gomez finished first in the six-candidate June primary with about 46 percent of the vote. Gonzales-Torres took 30.7 percent. Republican Calvin Lee placed third with about 13.7 percent.