WASHINGTON — Friday was the first day of work for California’s nine new House members, and their first order of business involved typical congressional chaos, as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) narrowly won reelection to his role after almost losing the first round of voting.
The nine new representatives — all Democrats, including three who flipped Republican seats — cast their votes for Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). But Johnson, who has presided over the chamber since fall 2023, eked out a win.
As a Democratic stronghold on the West Coast, California is home to a bevy 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.
The state lost many of its heavyweights in recent years, however, as Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) stepped down as House speaker to pass the torch of leadership to Jeffries. Although she no longer holds a formal position of leadership, Pelosi remains a powerful figure among her congressional colleagues. Although still recovering from a hip surgery, Pelosi smiled from the House floor Friday as she hugged Jeffries after casting her vote 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 after Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential election, California no longer has a leader in the White House.
Still, as the most populous state in the nation, California enjoys the most representation in the House with 52 delegates — down one after the 2020 census showed a population decline. Nine Californians officially took their oath of office Friday afternoon to join the 119th Congress.
Here are California’s newest representatives:
Rep. Derek Tran (D-Garden Grove): Tran won a razor-thin election against incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel, a Republican who held the 45th Congressional District seat in Orange County for two terms. Steel herself flipped the seat in 2020 from Democrat Katie Porter.
Rep. David Min (D-Irvine): After redistricting, Porter became representative in the 47th Congressional District. But when she decided to launch an unsuccessful bid for 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 around California politics, having served in a different congressional district previously. He easily glided to victory in his safely Democratic San Gabriel Valley district, taking over from retiring Rep. Grace Napolitano.
Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale): Friedman, a former Assembly member, is now representing 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): Whitesides replaced Rep. Mike Garcia, flipping the northeastern Los Angeles County seat from red to blue.
Rep. Adam Gray (D-Merced): The race in the Central Valley’s 13th Congressional District was the last election in the country to be called, as Gray flipped the seat from Republican Rep. John Duarte. Gray, a former state lawmaker, pitched 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 José, is representing the Bay Area in Congress.
Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-Oakland): Simon is taking over the seat vacated by Rep. Barbara Lee, the longtime representative who lost the primary race for U.S. Senate.
