Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) on Tuesday conceded his candidacy to Democratic challenger George Whitesides as final House elections began to be called across the country.
Despite Garcia's concession, the Associated Press has not yet called the race for Whiteside. As of Tuesday morning, Whitesides held a two-point lead with 83% of votes counted. Mr. Whiteside's lead is about 7,000 votes.
“Since I was 18 years old, I have served this beautiful country,” Garcia said in a statement. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of California’s 27th Congressional District for the past four and a half years.”
Garcias went on to thank his family, staff and volunteers for their hard work in his campaign.
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“I spoke with George Whiteside this evening and congratulated him. I will ensure a smooth transition of the outstanding voter litigation work package to him and his team,” Garcias added.
Whiteside accepted Garcia's concession in a statement on social media after the two spoke on the phone.
“Congressman Garcia called me earlier asking me to concede the race and thanked him for his years of service to my district and our nation,” Whitesides wrote. “In Congress, you can count on me to fight to create better local jobs, lower everyday costs, build safe communities, protect Social Security and Medicare, and protect reproductive freedom. .”
All eyes are on California as House majority remains determined by close races
California Republican Rep. Mike Garcia has conceded his race in the state's 27th Congressional District to challenger George Whiteside.
Mr. Garcia's candidacy was one of more than a dozen House races that remain undecided. Republicans currently hold 214 seats and are four wins away from taking control of the chamber.
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Many of the undeclared seats are in the western United States or in battleground states, including Arizona, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Maryland, New York, Maine, and Alaska.
House Speaker Mike Johnson appears poised to retain his role, but Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries faces a tough road to winning a House majority. (Getty Images)
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The path for Democrats to win a House majority is narrowing, and the party needs to win the most contentious races to take control.
FOX News' Chris Pandolfo and Sarah Rumpf Witten contributed to this report.
