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Jimmy Gomez

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Jimmy Gomez
Official portrait, 2017
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 34th district
Assumed office
June 6, 2017[a]
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 51)
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
Mary Hodge
​
(m. 2011)​
Children1
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Harvard University (MA)
Signature
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website
  1. ↑ Gomez's official service begins on the date of the special election, while he was not sworn in until July 11, 2017.[1]

Jimmy Gomez (born November 25, 1974) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 34th congressional district since 2017. His district includes the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Eagle Rock, Boyle Heights, Downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, and other communities. A member of the Democratic Party, Gomez served in the California State Assembly from 2012 to 2017.

In 2026, Gomez's re-election campaign has been embroiled in controversy after the House Ethics Committee opened a sexual misconduct investigation into him due to a staffer alleging Gomez sexually assaulted her.[2][3][4][5][6] Gomez was personal friends with former Congressman Eric Swalwell, who resigned from Congress amid criminal investigations into alleged rape and sexual misconduct, and had chaired Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign before it was suspended.[7][8][9] Gomez has denied violating any Ethics rules and maintained that his conduct was “consensual”.[10]

Early life and education

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Born and raised in Southern California, Gomez is the son of working-class immigrant parents.[11] His mother was a domestic worker and a nursing home laundry attendant.[12] His father was a bracero (farm worker).[13] After graduating from high school, without any plans to attend college, Gomez worked at Subway and Target.[14] He eventually attended Riverside Community College and earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles. He received his Master of Arts in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.[15] Gomez was a staffer for former U.S. Representative Hilda Solis.[16] He was also a labor organizer.[17][18]

California State Assembly

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Gomez's official California Assembly portrait

Gomez was a member of the California State Assembly, representing the 51st district.[15] He was first elected in 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.[19] Gomez was a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus.[20]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2017

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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.[21] Gomez received endorsements from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and Senate leader Kevin de León, among others.[22]

On April 4, 2017, Gomez came in first during the special election. Since he did not receive a majority of the vote, he faced a fellow Democrat, Los Angeles City Planning Commissioner Robert Lee Ahn, the runner-up, in a special runoff election on June 6. 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.

2018

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Gomez faced Green Party candidate Kenneth Mejia in the general election and won with 72.5% of the vote.

2020

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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, with 53% of the vote to Kim's 47%.[23]

2022

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David Kim challenged Gomez again in 2022. Gomez won, but by a smaller margin than in 2020 with 51% of the vote to Kim's 48%.[24] On October 22, 2022, Los Angeles City Councilmember-elect Eunisses Hernandez alleged that a female canvasser for Gomez and Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo made anti-Asian comments about their challengers, David Kim, who is Korean-American, and Mia Livas Porter, who is Filipina-American, respectively, while visiting Hernandez's home. In late October 2022, a Highland Park voter made similar allegations except this time it involved two female canvassers. In response, both Gomez's and Carrillo's campaigns offered an apology to their challengers and reached out to Hernandez via Twitter and separate phone conversations assuring that they had taken action to ensure the canvasser(s)-in-question were no longer part of the campaign.[25]

2024

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David Kim challenged Gomez again in 2024. Gomez won with 55% of the vote to Kim's 44%.[26]

2026

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Gomez is running for reelection and faced several challengers in the primary on June 2, 2026.[27] He advanced to the general election, winning nearly 46% of the vote, and will face fellow Democrat Angela Gonzales-Torres in the general election.[28]

Tenure

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Gomez's term began on June 6, 2017. He was sworn into office on July 11, 2017.[29][30] 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.[31] In November 2020, Gomez was named a candidate for United States Trade Representative in the Biden administration.[32]

In January 2021, Gomez introduced legislation to expel Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House for some of her social media postings from before her 2020 election to Congress.[33] After Greene heckled President Biden at his State of the Union address on March 2, 2022, Gomez once again introduced a resolution of expulsion, but added Representative Lauren Boebert, who had joined her in the heckling. Gomez also spoke about the "triggering" feeling he experienced after he returned to the Congressional Gallery for the first time since right-wing rioters had attacked those chambers in an attempt to halt the counting of electoral votes on January 6, 2021.[34]

Sexual assault investigation

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In April 2026, the New York Post ran a story alleging that Gomez kissed an aide of another Congressmember at a party hosted by Eric Swalwell in 2023.[28] Gomez said this "didn't happen".[28] Gomez was personal friends with former Congressman Eric Swalwell, who resigned from Congress amid criminal investigations into alleged rape and sexual misconduct, and had chaired Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign before it was suspended.[7][8][9][10]

In June 2026, the United States House Committee on Ethics began investigating Gomez on sexual misconduct allegations after a panel on the committee discovered other sexual misconduct allegations towards Gomez.[10][35] One former Gomez staffer alleged that Gomzez had sexually harassed and assaulted her.[6] In response, Gomez said "I made personal mistakes outside my marriage" but "my actions were consensual".[28]

Committee assignments

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For the 119th Congress:[36]

Caucus memberships

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Gomez is a member of several dozen caucuses. A full list is available at his website.

Political positions

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Abortion

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Gomez has a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America and an F grade from the Susan B. Anthony List for his abortion-related voting record.[44] Gomez opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade.[45]

Artificial intelligence and data centers

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Gomez is endorsed by Leading the Future, a Super PAC funded by the AI industry that opposes AI safety regulations.[46][47]

Climate and environment

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In 2025, Gomez received a score of 91% from the League of Conservation Voters, and a lifetime score of 97%.[48] Gomez had supported H.R. 471, which the LCV criticized as rolling back critical environmental protections and removing certain Endangered Species Act requirements.[49]

Cryptocurrency

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Gomez supports cryptocurrency industry priorities and voted for the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act. In 2024, Fairshake, a cryptocurrency industry SuperPAC, spent $511,000 to support his re-election bid.[50][51] Crypto industry lobbyist Stand With Crypto gave Gomez an "A" rating.[52]

LGBTQ rights

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Gomez received a score of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign for both the 115th and 116th Congresses.[53]

Israel–Palestine

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Gomez supports taxpayer-funded military aid to Israel.[54][55] Gomez is endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC),[50] which praised Gomez for condemning Boycott Divestment Sanctions and supporting the War Reserve Stockpile Ammunition-Israel.[56] In 2024, AIPAC spent over $2.3 million to support Gomez.[52] Gomez is also endorsed by Democratic Majority for Israel.[57] Gomez voted to support Israel after the October 7 attacks.[58][59][60]

Electoral history

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2014 California State Assembly election

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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 State Assembly election

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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 congressional special election

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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 congressional election

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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 congressional election

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California's 34th congressional district, 2020[61][62]
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

2022 congressional election

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California's 34th congressional district, 2022[61]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 45,376 50.7
Democratic David Kim 34,921 39.0
Republican Clifton VonBuck 9,150 10.2
Total votes 89,447 100.0
General election
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 62,244 51.2
Democratic David Kim 59,223 48.8
Total votes 121,467 100.0
Democratic hold

2024 congressional election

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California's 34th congressional district, 2024[63][64]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 41,611 51.2
Democratic David Kim 22,703 27.9
Republican Calvin Lee 11,495 14.1
Peace and Freedom Aaron Reveles 3,223 4.0
Democratic David Ferrell 2,312 2.8
Total votes 81,344 100.0
General election
Democratic Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) 105,394 55.6
Democratic David Kim 84,020 44.4
Total votes 189,414 100.0
Democratic hold

Personal life

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Gomez is married to Mary Hodge, an aide to former Los Angeles mayor and former United States Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.[65] They live in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles.[66] They have one son. As a result of the House Ethics Committee's investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct, Gomez admitted he had previously had an affair, saying to CNN that he had made "personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family". Gomez said he had sought professional help to address his issues.[67][68] Gomez was a friend of Eric Swalwell and co-chaired his campaign in the 2026 California gubernatorial election until sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against Swalwell which led to him distancing himself from the campaign.[69][70]

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "House Vacancies and Successors – 115th Congress (2017–2019)". Historian of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  2. ↑ Weider, Ben (June 2, 2026). "L.A. Rep. Jimmy Gomez reportedly faces House investigation over sexual misconduct allegations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  3. ↑ Brown, Pamela; Grayer, Annie; Gordon, Allison (June 2, 2026). "Exclusive: House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over sexual misconduct allegations, sources say | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  4. ↑ "LA-area Rep. Jimmy Gomez being investigated for sexual misconduct, report says". ABC7 Los Angeles. June 3, 2026. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  5. ↑ Holden, Lindsey (July 16, 2026). "Israel and ethics dog Jimmy Gomez". POLITICO. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Allison Gordon, Pamela Brown (August 19, 2026). "Rep. Jimmy Gomez accuser told House Ethics Committee he sexually assaulted her, attorneys say | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Press, Associated (April 11, 2026). "Allies yank support for Swalwell's California governor run after sexual assault allegations". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Holden, Lindsey (July 16, 2026). "Israel and ethics dog Jimmy Gomez". POLITICO. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Yu, Jeanne Kuang, Yue Stella (April 10, 2026). "Supporters flee Swalwell's governor campaign amid allegations of sexual assault". CalMatters. Retrieved August 16, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. 1 2 3 Pamela Brown, Annie Grayer, Allison Gordon (June 2, 2026). "Exclusive: House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over sexual misconduct allegations, sources say | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved August 16, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Mai-Duc, Christine (February 21, 2017). "Half the candidates in L.A.'s latest congressional race have their own immigrant story. With Trump, this contest is personal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  12. ↑ Rep Jimmy Gomez (November 26, 2019). "Trump's immigration policies dishonor the refugees we now call Pilgrims". NBC News. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Los Ángeles inaugura monumento a los braceros mexicanos". Conexión Migrante (in Mexican Spanish). October 1, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  14. ↑ Dyke, Jonathan Van (December 13, 2017). "UCLA Advocate In Action: U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez Embodies the Transformative Properties of Higher Education". UCLA. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  15. 1 2 "Biography". U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Gomez on What He Learned From Being a Staffer for a Latina Member". Roll Call. May 18, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  17. ↑ "UNAC/UHCP's Jimmy Gomez Headed to Congress". UNAC/UHCP. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Nurses Union Hires New Political Director". UNAC/UHCP. February 26, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Proposed California Gun Laws Aim at Safe Storage | KQED". www.kqed.org. May 21, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Governor Joins Latino Caucus for Community Celebration | California Latino Legislative Caucus". latinocaucus.legislature.ca.gov. June 20, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  21. ↑ Melanie Mason (December 5, 2016). "Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez joins race to succeed Rep. Xavier Becerra in Congress". Los Angeles Times.(subscription required)
  22. ↑ 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)
  23. ↑ "California Election Results: 34th Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  24. ↑ "US Representative In Southern California: Who's Running and Why It Matters". LAist. May 11, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  25. ↑ Huang, Josie (November 4, 2022). "Canvasser Controversy Erupts In LA Congressional Race For District 34". LAist. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  26. ↑ "California House District 34 Election 2024 Live Results". NBC News. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  27. ↑ Regardie, Jon (January 20, 2026). "Crowded field challenges Jimmy Gomez in California's 34th Congressional District". The Eastsider LA. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  28. 1 2 3 4 "Morning Digest: Ethics Committee investigation roils Democrat vs. Democrat general election". The Downballot. August 2026.
  29. ↑ Kyle Cheney (June 28, 2017). "Gomez to be sworn in to House on July 11". Politico.
  30. ↑ Sarah D. Wire (July 11, 2017). "Jimmy Gomez sworn into Congress". Los Angeles Times.(subscription required)
  31. ↑ "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.
  32. ↑ Politico Staff (November 7, 2020). "Meet the contenders for Biden's Cabinet". Politico. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  33. ↑ Choi, Matthew (January 27, 2021). "Rep. Jimmy Gomez drafts resolution to oust Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress". Politico. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  34. ↑ Rep. Gomez: Reps. Greene and Boebert heckling Biden was 'disgusting', MSNBC, March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  35. ↑ Weider, Ben (June 2, 2026). "L.A. Rep. Jimmy Gomez reportedly faces House investigation over sexual misconduct allegations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Jimmy Gomez". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Caucus Members". Black Maternal Health Caucus. June 15, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Members". Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Members". Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Congressional Taiwan Caucus". Congressman Brad Sherman. August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  42. ↑ "About the CEC". CEC. April 4, 2025. Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  43. ↑ "Membership". Congressional Freethought Caucus. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Jimmy Gomez". SBA Pro-Life America. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  45. ↑ Gomez, Jimmy [@RepJimmyGomez] (June 24, 2022). "Words can't begin to describe my outrage at this ruling. SCOTUS just overturned a half-century of precedent and banned the constitutional right to an abortion. Women will die because of this decision. 🧵1/3" (Tweet). Retrieved June 28, 2022 – via Twitter.
  46. ↑ Wilkins, Emily (April 15, 2026). "AI becomes contentious issue in midterms over donations". CNBC. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  47. ↑ Wu, Nicholas (September 11, 2026). "California Dem faces election turbulence". Semafor. Archived from the original on September 11, 2026.
  48. ↑ "Check out Representative Jimmy Gomez's Environmental Voting Record". League of Conservation Voters. February 14, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Stifling Public Input and Environmental Review on National Forests". League of Conservation Voters. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  50. 1 2 Lacy, Akela (September 4, 2025). "She's Challenging an AIPAC Democrat. A National Progressive Group Wants In". The Intercept. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  51. ↑ Gardiner, Dustin; Korte, Lara (October 15, 2024). "Crypto leans red in California, despite bipartisan mantra". POLITICO. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  52. 1 2 Wimbish, Whitney Curry (September 4, 2025). "Squad Hopeful in L.A. Has Lived Through ICE Terror Before". The American Prospect. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  53. ↑ "Congressional Scorecard". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  54. ↑ "List of Democrats voting against cut to Israel aid as base turns on ally". Newsweek. July 15, 2026. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  55. ↑ Valdez, Jonah (June 3, 2026). "Establishment Dems Stave Off the Left in Key California Congressional Primaries". The Intercept. Gomez has consistently voted to send military aid to Israel.
  56. ↑ "Jimmy Gomez". American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
  57. ↑ "Endorsees". DMFI PAC. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  58. ↑ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  59. ↑ "Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  60. ↑ "Gomez Statement on the Hostage Release in Gaza" (Press release). U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez. November 22, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  61. 1 2 "Statement of Vote Presidential Primary Election March 3, 2020" (PDF). California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  62. ↑ "November 3, 2020, General Election – United States Representative" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  63. ↑ "Statement of Vote" (PDF). Sacramento: Secretary of State of California. 2024. p. 87. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  64. ↑ "Statement of Vote" (PDF). Sacramento: Secretary of State of California. 2024. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 30, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  65. ↑ Mai-Duc, Christine (June 8, 2017). "Jimmy Gomez on winning the 34th District: 'Was that a dream?'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  66. ↑ Lundquist, Paulette (October 25, 2017). "Gomez". The Hill. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  67. ↑ Pamela Brown, Annie Grayer, Allison Gordon (June 2, 2026). "Exclusive: House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over sexual misconduct allegations, sources say | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved August 16, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  68. ↑ Migdon, Brooke (June 2, 2026). "Another Congressman Admits to Cheating on Wife After Report Claimed He Made Out with Young Aide Outside Eric Swalwell's House". People.
  69. ↑ Zúñiga, Fabián Gutiérrez (June 5, 2026). "Jimmy Gomez Investigated by House Ethics Committee". LAmag. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  70. ↑ "L.A. Rep. Jimmy Gomez reportedly faces House investigation over sexual misconduct allegations". Los Angeles Times. June 2, 2026. Retrieved July 8, 2026.
  71. ↑ "NHMC Impact: Washington D.C." NHMC.
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