By CalMatters, Gina Pollack/LAist, Elgin Nelson
Originally published Sept. 20, 2024
Jimmy Gomez is running against David Kim in the race to represent California’s 34th Congressional District. The incumbent, has held the seat since taking office in 2017.
UPDATE: AP called the race for Gomez. Read more here.
In the primary election earlier this year, Gomez received 51% of the votes while Kim garnered 27%.
The two Democratic candidates will seek to address issues such as affordable housing, reproductive justice, criminal justice reform, and more.
At a glance: This district includes Boyle Heights, Chinatown, City Terrace, Cypress Park, downtown Los Angeles, Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Lincoln Heights, Pico Union, and Westlake.
Voter registration: 61% Democrat, 22.6% no party preference, 9.7% Republican
What does a U.S. Representative for California do?
These lawmakers represent individual districts in the U.S. House of Representatives, shaping and passing laws that govern the country.
A civics refresher: The House is one of two chambers of Congress, the other being the Senate. The House and Senate both draft, debate and pass bills that ultimately need approval from both chambers and a president’s signature to become law. The House has to initiate any bills that have to do with taxation, although the Senate can propose changes.
The House has a total of 435 representatives, each of whom represents a district. District lines are drawn so that each represents roughly the same number of people — 700,000 on average. Since California has the highest population in the country, it has 52 representatives, more than any other state. California voters will pick their representatives in all 52 U.S. House districts this year. The job holder must:
- Help craft legislation — though strictly speaking it is not a requirement.
- Persuade a majority of your 434 colleagues, or at least the leaders, that the specific concerns of your constituents should be a priority.
- Be in constant campaign mode, especially fundraising, because you have to run again in 2026 to keep the post.
Why these races matters:
Looking toward November, California is looming increasingly important for which party will control the U.S. House next year. While Republicans hope to flip several seats now held by Democrats, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added five California districts to its targets.
When voting, you’re not just thinking about who you want your representative to be, but how they would contribute to the overall makeup and political direction of the House of Representatives. The House’s ability to pass laws, cooperate with the president, or get anything done in general depends a lot on what those divisions look like — if there’s a Republican or Democratic majority, how large that majority is, and the ratio between moderates and those with farther right or farther left views. And often, bills are passed — or rejected — strictly along party lines.
You may recognize their work from…
In recent years, the House has:
- Passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill to fund roads, rail, public transit, water, internet access and more.
- Kept the lights on and avoided default by passing the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, raising the limit on the amount of money the U.S. government is allowed to borrow.
- Expanded services and benefits for service members and veterans, including authorizing the construction of several new Veterans Affairs facilities.
What’s on the agenda for the next term?
Along with the Senate, the House has to find solutions or relief measures for the big problems facing the country right now: inflation, high gas prices, the continued threat of climate change, and fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Congress also has to figure out how to solve long-standing issues that have faced legislative impasses, such as immigration reform.
Members of Congress are paid $174,000 a year for rank-and-file. Party leaders get higher salaries.
Meet the candidates for District 34
Jimmy Gomez (Incumbent)
U.S. Rep. and educator, Democrat
Gomez began his career as a public servant and organizer fighting for working families with the trade union American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees CA, which advocates for public service workers in California.
Elected to the State Assembly in 2012, Gomez pushed for progressive initiatives like Paid Family Leave, which President Obama and then-Attorney General Kamala Harris praised.
He later became a U.S. Representative in 2017, where he fought against attacks on immigrants and health care and supported significant legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act. Gomez’s latest campaign platform includes tackling housing affordability, reproductive rights, healthcare and criminal justice reform.
Rep. Gomez has recently been targeted by a pro-Palestinian group for accepting donations from pro-Israel organizations. The protest, led by the activist group If Not Now, has called on Gomez to return campaign contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and its political action committee, the United Democracy Project.
When asked about the If Not Now incident, a spokesperson for Rep. Gomez stated, “Congressman Gomez was one of the first members of the House of Representatives to call for a ceasefire,” referring to the war in Gaza.
Website: JimmyGomezForCongress.com
Endorsements: See full list here
More info: Ballotpedia
David Kim
Children’s court attorney, Democrat
David Kim is a children’s court attorney, activist, and former neighborhood board council member currently running for U.S. Congress in California’s 34th Congressional District. In the 2022 general election, he ran for the same seat and received 49% of the votes against the corporate-backed incumbent.
Children’s court attorney, Democrat
According to Kim’s campaign website, his platform is guided by three core values: Life-empowering policies, co-government, and people-centered politics.
He advocates for Medicare for all, supports initiatives to combat climate change and supports the Responsive Representation Bill, which mandates public town hall meetings, creates searchable congressional district databases for constituents, and provides resources for accessing bill information.
Website: DavidKimForCA
Endorsements: Full list here
More info: Ballotpedia
Find your district
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This report is reprinted with permission from Southern California Public Radio. © 2024 Southern California Public Radio. All rights reserved.