WASHINGTON – Friday was the first day of work for the nine new members of the House of Representatives in California, and their first act in office was filled with typical congressional chaos as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) narrowly won re-election to office after losing the first term Almost lost the election round.
The nine new representatives — all Democrats, including three who flipped seats with Republicans — cast their votes for Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). But Johnson, who has headed the chamber since fall 2023, was able to score a victory.
A Democratic stronghold on the West Coast, California is home to a host of Democratic leaders in Congress. Reps. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) and Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) hold the positions of House Democratic Caucus Chair and Vice Chair, respectively.
However, the state lost many of its heavyweights in recent years when Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) resigned as House Speaker and handed over the leadership to Jeffries. Although she no longer holds a formal leadership position, Pelosi remains an influential figure among her congressional colleagues. Despite still recovering from hip surgery, Pelosi smiled on the House floor Friday as she hugged Jeffries after voting for him as speaker.
Kevin McCarthy, the Bakersfield representative who served as House speaker before a historic ouster, left Congress in 2023. Longtime leader Sen. Dianne Feinstein died in 2023. And with Vice President Kamala Harris losing the presidential election, California has none Leaders more in Congress White House.
Still, as the country's most populous state, California has the largest representation in the House of Representatives with 52 delegates – a decline of one after the 2020 census showed a decline in population. Nine Californians officially took the oath of office to join the 119th Congress on Friday afternoon.
Here are California's newest representatives:
Rep. Derek Tran (D-Garden Grove): Tran won a razor-thin election against incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel, a two-term Republican who held the 45th Congressional District seat in Orange County. Steel himself took over the seat from Democrat Katie Porter in 2020.
Rep. David Min (D-Irvine): After redistricting, Porter became a representative in the 47th Congressional District. But when she decided to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate, Min, then a state senator, ran and won the seat, keeping it under Democratic control.
Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-Covina): Cisneros is a familiar name in California politics, having previously served in another congressional district. He easily won in his solidly Democratic San Gabriel Valley district, taking over from outgoing Rep. Grace Napolitano.
Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale): Friedman, a former Assembly member, now represents central Los Angeles County, taking over the seat long held by Adam B. Schiff, who handily won California's open Senate seat.
Rep. Luz Rivas (D-North Hollywood): Rivas, a former California Assembly member and nonprofit leader, easily won the Democratic 29th Congressional District representing the San Fernando Valley.
Rep. George Whitesides (D-Agua Dulce): Replacing Rep. Mike Garcia, Whitesides flipped the northeast Los Angeles County seat from red to blue.
Rep. Adam Gray (D-Merced): The Central Valley's 13th Congressional District race was the last election in the country to be called, as Gray unseated Republican Rep. John Duarte's seat. Gray, a former state lawmaker, presented himself as a centrist Democrat to win over the Central Valley's largely agricultural population.
Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-San Jose): Liccardo, a former mayor of San Jose, represents the Bay Area in Congress.
Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Oakland): Simon is taking the seat vacated by Rep. Barbara Lee, the longtime lawmaker who lost the primary race for U.S. Senate.