Jimmy Gomez

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Jimmy Gomez
Jimmy Gomez official portrait.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 34th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 11, 2017
Preceded byXavier Becerra
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 51st district
In office
December 3, 2012 – July 11, 2017
Preceded bySteven Bradford
Succeeded byWendy Carrillo
Personal details
Born (1974-11-25) November 25, 1974 (age 46)
Fullerton, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Mary Hodge
(m. 2011)
ResidenceEagle Rock, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Harvard University (MPP)
WebsiteHouse website

Jimmy C. Gomez (born November 25, 1974) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 34th congressional district since 2017. The district is anchored in eastern Los Angeles, including downtown. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the California State Assembly from 2012 to 2017. On June 6, 2017, he won a special election to replace Xavier Becerra in Congress, after Becerra resigned to become Attorney General of California.[1] On July 11, 2017, Gomez was officially sworn in.[2] He was reelected in 2018 and in 2020.[3]

Early life and education[]

Born and raised in Southern California, Gomez is the child of immigrant parents who moved to California from Mexico in the early 1970s.[4]

Gomez attended Riverside City College before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles where he graduated magna cum laude in 1999 with a B.A. in political science. He later earned a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.[5]

After college, Gomez was an organizer fighting for working families in his community with AFSCME CA and later as an advocate for front-line nurses represented by (UNAC/UHCP).

California State Assembly[]

Gomez's official California Assembly portrait

Gomez was a member of the California State Assembly, representing the 51st district. He was first elected in November 2012 and reelected in 2014 with over 83% of the vote. California's 51st Assembly district includes Northeast Los Angeles and unincorporated East Los Angeles. He served as State Assembly Majority Whip from 2013 to 2014.

Gomez was a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. Before being elected to the Assembly in 2012, he was the political director for the United Nurses Association of California, an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

U.S. House of Representatives[]

Elections[]

2017[]

On December 5, 2016, Gomez announced his candidacy for the special election to succeed Xavier Becerra in the United States House of Representatives for California's 34th congressional district.[6] Gomez received endorsements from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) and Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), among others.[7]

On April 4, 2017, Gomez came in first during the special election. Since he did not receive a majority of the votes, he faced fellow Democrat Robert Lee Ahn, the runner-up, in a special runoff election on June 6, 2017. Gomez won with 60% of the vote. He is only the third person to represent this district since its creation in 1963 (it was numbered as the 30th from 1963 to 1975, the 25th from 1975 to 1993, the 30th from 1993 to 2003, the 31st from 2003 to 2013, and has been the 34th since 2017). Ed Roybal won this district in 1963 and handed it to Becerra in 1993.

2020[]

Gomez was challenged in the 2020 election by Macarthur Park Neighborhood Council board member, and fellow Democrat David Kim. On November 3, Gomez defeated Kim in a closer than expected race, winning 53% of the vote to Kim's 47%.[8]

Tenure[]

Gomez's term began on June 6, 2017. He was sworn into office on July 11, 2017.[9][2]

On October 1, 2020, Gomez co-signed a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that condemned Azerbaijan’s offensive operations against the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, denounced Turkey’s role in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and called for an immediate ceasefire.[10]

In November 2020, he was named a candidate for United States Trade Representative in the Biden Administration.[11]

In January 2021, he introduced legislation to expel Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), from the U.S. House of Representatives.[12]

Committee assignments[]

  • Committee on Ways and Means
  • Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Caucuses[]

Electoral history[]

2014[]

California's 51st State Assembly district election, 2014
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 20,621 99.7
Republican Stephen C. Smith (write-in) 54 0.3
Total votes 20,675 100.0
General election
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 42,261 83.6
Republican Stephen C. Smith 8,277 16.4
Total votes 50,538 100.0
Democratic hold

2016[]

California's 51st State Assembly district election, 2016
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 62,366 100.0
Libertarian Mike Everling (write-in) 7 0.0
Total votes 62,373 100.0
General election
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 110,036 86.1
Libertarian Mike Everling 17,724 13.9
Total votes 127,760 100.0
Democratic hold

2017[]

California's 34th congressional district special general election, 2017
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jimmy Gomez 25,569 59.2%
Democratic Robert Lee Ahn 17,610 40.8%
Total votes 43,179 100.00
Democratic hold

2018[]

California's 34th congressional district election, 2018
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 54,661 78.7
Green Kenneth Mejia 8,987 12.9
Libertarian Angela Elise McArdle 5,804 8.4
Total votes 69,452 100.0
General election
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 110,195 72.5
Green Kenneth Mejia 41,711 27.5
Total votes 151,906 100.0
Democratic hold

New York Times Results

2020[]

California's 34th congressional district, 2020[16][17]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 57,066 52.0
Democratic David Kim 23,055 21.0
Democratic Frances Yasmeen Motiwalla 14,961 13.6
Republican Joanne L. Wright 8,482 7.7
Democratic Keanakay Scott 6,089 5.6
Total votes 109,653 100.0
General election
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 108,792 53.0
Democratic David Kim 96,554 47.0
Total votes 205,346 100.0
Democratic hold

Personal life[]

Gomez is married to Mary Hodge, an aide for Eric Garcetti.[18] They live in Eagle Rock, California.[19]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Debbie L. Sklar (June 7, 2017). "Traditionally Latino congressional seat stays with Latino: Korean-American defeated". My News LA. City News Service.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Sarah D. Wire (July 11, 2017). "Jimmy Gomez sworn into Congress". Los Angeles Times.(subscription required)
  3. ^ "Elections 2018: Congressman Jimmy Gomez wins first full term in California's 34th District against Kenneth Mejia". Daily News. November 6, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  4. ^ "Biography". Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez California District 51. December 13, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  5. ^ "Jimmy Gomez's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  6. ^ Melanie Mason (December 5, 2016). "Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez joins race to succeed Rep. Xavier Becerra in Congress". Los Angeles Times.(subscription required)
  7. ^ Christine Mai-Duc (January 17, 2016). "Who's in and who's out in the race to replace Rep. Xavier Becerra in Congress". Los Angeles Times.(subscription required)
  8. ^ "California Election Results: 34th Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  9. ^ Kyle Cheney (June 28, 2017). "Gomez to be sworn in to House on July 11". Politico.
  10. ^ "Senate and House Leaders to Secretary of State Pompeo: Cut Military Aid to Azerbaijan; Sanction Turkey for Ongoing Attacks Against Armenia and Artsakh". The Armenian Weekly. October 2, 2020.
  11. ^ Staff, Politico. "Meet the contenders for Biden's Cabinet". POLITICO. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  12. ^ Choi, Matthew (January 27, 2021). "Rep. Jimmy Gomez drafts resolution to oust Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress". Politico. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  13. ^ "Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  14. ^ "Members". Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  15. ^ "Members". Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  16. ^ "STATEMENT OF VOTE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION MARCH 3, 2020" (PDF). California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "November 3, 2020, General Election - United States Representative" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  18. ^ Mai-Duc, Christine (June 8, 2017). "Jimmy Gomez on winning the 34th District: 'Was that a dream?'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  19. ^ Lundquist, Paulette (October 25, 2017). "Gomez". TheHill. Retrieved November 21, 2020.

External links[]

California Assembly
Preceded by
Steven Bradford
Member of the California Assembly
from the 51st district

2012–2017
Succeeded by
Wendy Carrillo
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Xavier Becerra
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 34th congressional district

2017–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Ron Estes
United States representatives by seniority
286th
Succeeded by
Ralph Norman
Retrieved from ""