Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, poised to become Speaker of the House of Representatives if his party flips four Republican-held seats in November, lit up a Hope Ranch fundraiser on Sunday that raised about $100,000 aimed at a key California district.
“This is a fragile moment of time,” Jeffries told about 150 people who gathered at the event, sponsored by Democratic Women of Santa Barbara at the home of community hero Susan Rose. “We know that democracy is fragile; we know that democracy is under assault.”
Introduced by Rep. Salud Carbajal, Jeffries spoke on behalf of George Whitesides, the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Mike Garcia in the 27th congressional district in northern Los Angeles County.
The seat held by Garcia, a Trump stalwart who voted to deny certification of the 2020 election and supported a federal abortion ban, is one of a handful in the state targeted by Democrats in their effort to recapture a slim majority in the 435-member House.
The stakes could not be higher: come January, the House could represent the Democrats’ only firewall in Washington, with Republicans heavily favored to reclaim the Senate and the presidential race now a coin flip election.
Hakeem Jeffries speaks at Hope Ranch fundraiser on Sunday. | Credit: Jerry Roberts
