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George T. Whitesides
American businessman and politician (born 1974) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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George Thomas Whitesides (born March 3, 1974)[1] is an American politician and businessman who has served as the U.S. representative for California's 27th congressional district since 2025. He was previously chief of staff at NASA and CEO of Virgin Galactic.[2] He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Whitesides' district covers northern Los Angeles County, and includes Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and parts of the northwestern San Fernando Valley.
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Early life and education
Whitesides was born on March 3, 1974, in Massachusetts.[3] He was raised in Newton with his brother.[4][1] His great grandfather, James Breasted, was an egyptologist who coined the term "fertile crescent".[5][6] While growing up, Whitesides played ice hockey[4] and attended Newton North High School, where he graduated in 1992.[7]
Whitesides went on to attend Princeton University, where he studied at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, earning his bachelor's degree in 1996.[8][9] After graduating, he served for four years on Princeton's Board of Trustees.[10] He later earned an MPhil in geographic information systems and remote sensing from King's College, Cambridge,[2] and was a Fulbright Scholar in Tunisia.[8][11]
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Space career
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Whitesides began his career in the space sector, where he served as executive director of the National Space Society from 2004 to 2008.[12] He also co-founded Yuri's Night, an annual celebration of human spaceflight, alongside his wife Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides.[13][8] During this period, he was named senior advisor to Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's space tourism company.[14]
Whitesides worked on the 2008 presidential transition of Barack Obama.[15] After Obama took office, he was appointed chief of staff of NASA,[8] where he served until 2010 under Administrator Charles Bolden.[10][2] Upon his departure, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the agency's highest award.[11][16]
After leaving NASA, Whitesides became Virgin Galactic's first CEO and led the company for a decade.[8] He oversaw the development of commercial spaceflight vehicles and managed operations at the Mojave Air and Space Port.[17] During this time, he also chaired the Reusable Launch Vehicle Working Group for COMSTAC, the advisory committee for the FAA's Commercial Space Transportation Division.[8] Additionally, he served as a board member for Astronomers Without Borders and the Space Generation Foundation.[10][2] He announced in 2021 his departure as CEO of Virgin Galactic while remaining in an advisory role with the company.[18]
In December 2022, Whitesides co-sponsored a research parabolic flight with AstroAccess.[19]
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U.S. House of Representatives
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2024 election
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On February 22, 2023, Whitesides announced he was running for California's 27th congressional district in the 2024 election as a Democrat, challenging incumbent Republican congressman Mike Garcia.[20] As a first-time candidate without a legislative voting record, Republican opposition focused on the progressive groups and candidates that contributed to his campaign, including Equality California, which co-sponsored the controversial 2020 California Senate Bill 145 regarding judicial discretion in sex offender registration.[21]
Whitesides narrowly defeated Garcia in the general election on November 5, 2024, by around 8,000 votes.[22]
Tenure
Whitesides was sworn into office on January 3, 2025.[23] During his first term, he was appointed to the House Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.[24] In March 2025, he co-sponsored the bipartisan DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act, a bill introduced by Nick Begich (R-AK), which passed the House and formalized collaboration between the Department of Energy and NASA to advance space exploration and energy innovation.[25]
During his first week in office, Whitesides returned to Los Angeles to assist with wildfire response efforts, helping coordinate on-the-ground outreach following the Hurst Fire.[26] In response to the broader 2025 Southern California wildfires, Whitesides – who had co-founded a wildfire prevention organization and emphasized urban wildfire risks during his campaign – co-sponsored the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, which passed the House and aimed to improve forest management by easing environmental regulations and improving coordination of science-based fire prevention efforts across government agencies.[27]
Committee assignments
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Whitesides's committee assignments for the 119th Congress:[23]
Caucus memberships
Whitesides's caucus memberships include:[1]
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Personal life
Whitesides is married to Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, with whom he has two children.[1][2] He is Episcopalian.[29]
Electoral history
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References
External links
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