By Jeff Vaughn A once-safe Los Angeles congressional seat may suddenly be in play — as sexual misconduct allegations hang over Democratic Congressman Jimmy Gomez.
SFGATE reports Gomez is facing the toughest reelection fight of his career in California’s 34th Congressional District, covering parts of Downtown L.A., Koreatown, Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles.
Gomez is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct involving a congressional staffer.
One woman, through her attorneys, has accused Gomez of sexual assault.
Gomez denies wrongdoing, says the encounters were consensual and has acknowledged what he calls “personal mistakes” outside his marriage.
An AI search shows how close Gomez was with disgraced Eric Swalwell:
- The “Cool Kids Clique”: In Congress, Gomez and Swalwell (alongside Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego) became widely known among Washington insiders as a tight-knit social group dubbed the “Cool Kids Clique.” Media and congressional sources frequently noted the trio’s close bond, which revolved around drinking and socializing together outside of their official legislative duties. [1, 2]
- Gubernatorial Campaign Co-Chair: Gomez served as a campaign co-chair for Swalwell’s high-profile California gubernatorial race. [1]
- Socializing at Swalwell’s Residence: The depth of their personal circles became the focus of major public scrutiny following media reports of a summer 2023 backyard party hosted at Swalwell’s Washington, D.C., home. Gomez was spotted at the gathering in an intimate encounter with Swalwell’s chief of staff, Yardena Wolf. The fallout from this incident ultimately led to a House Ethics Committee investigation into Gomez after he publicly admitted to cheating on his wife. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Now the political damage may be showing up at the ballot box.
A September poll cited by SFGATE had Gomez’s challenger, Democratic Socialist Angela Gonzales-Torres, at 41 percent — Gomez at 38 percent.
Important caveat: that poll focused largely on the candidates and artificial-intelligence policy and did not specifically test the sexual misconduct allegations.
Gonzales-Torres is openly using the controversy against him and has called on Gomez to resign.
And here’s what makes this notable locally: the Los Angeles Times has reported on the allegations and the ethics investigation, but so far I’m not finding much coverage from L.A.’s major television stations of the bigger political story — that an incumbent who has held this seat since 2017 may now be fighting for his political survival.
Election Day is November 3, but when you get your mail-in ballot, it all begins.
AI helped compile this story
