# George T. Whitesides

George Thomas Whitesides (born March 3, 1974) is an American politician and businessman who serves as the U.S. representative for California's 27th congressional district since 2025. He previously held leadership roles in the space industry and government, including as chief of staff at NASA and CEO of Virgin Galactic. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
For over a decade, Whitesides led Virgin Galactic, overseeing the development of commercial spaceflight vehicles at the Mojave Air and Space Port. He still serves on the company's advisory board. Earlier in his career, he was chief of staff at NASA under Administrator Charles Bolden, following his role on the agency's transition team for the Obama administration.
Whitesides' district covers northern Los Angeles County, including Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and parts of the northwestern San Fernando Valley.

## Early life and education

Whitesides was born on March 3, 1974 in Massachusetts. He was raised in Newton with his brother. His parents Barbara and George M. Whitesides were university professors. His great grandfather, James Breasted, was an egyptologist who coined the term "fertile crescent". While growing up, Whitesides played ice hockey and attended Newton North High School, where he graduated in 1992.
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. After graduating, he served for four years on Princeton's Board of Trustees. He later earned an MPhil in Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing from King's College, Cambridge, and was a Fulbright Scholar in Tunisia.

## Space career

Whitesides began his career in the space sector, where he served as executive director of the National Space Society from 2004 to 2008. He also co-founded Yuri's Night, an annual celebration of human spaceflight, alongside his wife Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides. During this period, he was named senior advisor to Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's space tourism company.
Whitesides worked on the 2008 presidential transition of Barack Obama. After Obama took office, he was appointed chief of staff of NASA, where he served until 2010 under Administrator Charles Bolden. Upon his departure, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the agency's highest award.
After leaving NASA, Whitesides became Virgin Galactic's first CEO and led the company for a decade. He oversaw the development of commercial spaceflight vehicles and managed operations at the Mojave Air and Space Port. 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. Additionally, he served as a board member for Astronomers Without Borders and the Space Generation Foundation. He announced in 2021 his departure from Virgin Galactic to pursue public service, while remaining in an advisory role with the company.
Whitesides has also worked as a coach for Zero Gravity Corporation's parabolic flight service. In July 2021, as co-founder and project lead of the SciAccess Initiative's Mission: AstroAccess, he opened applications for people with disabilities to participate in a ZERO-G parabolic flight. In December 2022, the program's first formal research parabolic flight took place, with 14 disability ambassadors from five countries in the mission.

## U.S. House of Representatives
### 2024 election

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. 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.
Whitesides defeated Garcia in the general election on November 5, 2024, by around 8,000 votes.

### Committee assignments

Whitesides's committee assignments for the 119th Congress include:
* Committee on Armed Services
** Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation
** Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
** Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
* Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
** Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

### Caucus memberships

Whitesides's caucus memberships include:
* Future Forum
* New Democrat Coalition

## Personal life

Whitesides is married to Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, and they have two children. He is Episcopalian.

## Electoral history

California's 27th congressional district, 2024 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike Garcia (incumbent) | 74,245 | 54.9 |
| | Democratic | George Whitesides | 44,391 | 32.8 |
| | Democratic | Steve Hill | 16,525 | 12.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 135,161 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | George Whitesides | 154,040 | 51.3 |
| | Republican | Mike Garcia (incumbent) | 146,050 | 48.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 300,090 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |