Sexual misconduct allegations threaten to topple LA Democrat Jimmy Gomez

A Los Angeles House seat that has been safely held over the past decade has turned competitive after incumbent Rep. Jimmy Gomez was accused of sexual assault, potentially allowing a socialist opponent to unseat the veteran Democrat this November. 

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Gomez’s opponent, Angela Gonzales-Torres, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has repeatedly made the sexual assault allegations part of her campaign, telling the LA Times in August “we need to get creeps out of office,” while also calling for his resignation. One poll shows Gonzales-Torres with a narrow lead in the race to represent California’s 34th District, which encompasses parts of many urban and diverse Los Angeles neighborhoods, including East LA, Koreatown, Downtown LA and Boyle Heights. 

Gomez previously said he made “personal mistakes” outside of his marriage, but denies any wrongdoing and maintains that the relationship was consensual. 

“That doesn’t diminish the impact that these mistakes have made on those I care about the most,” Gomez said, according to the New York Times. “I take full responsibility and have committed myself to working through the pain privately with my wife and family.”

Gomez has historically won the backing of progressive groups and supports progressive measures like Medicare for All, but even his progressive bona fides are coming into question. Gonzales-Torres, a millennial socialist, is using sky-high rent prices and healthcare for all as centerpieces of her campaign at a time when socialists are seeing increasing support from voters.

Sexual misconduct allegations

The allegations first surfaced in April when the New York Post reported that Gomez in 2023 was seen kissing a younger staffer, who worked for another House member, at a party in Sacramento. A spokesperson for Gomez told the publication that ​​it was “not true” and the kiss “didn’t happen.” The Post later identified the staffer, who is two decades younger than Gomez, as the chief of staff for Rep. Eric Swalwell, who has been entangled in his own legal saga after five women accused him of sexual misconduct, including rape and assault. Gomez called the allegations against Swalwell “the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable” and dropped out as co-chair of Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign.

CNN reported in June that the House Committee on Ethics was looking into allegations of sexual misconduct against Gomez. The outlet reported that the panel was investigating the allegations in the Post’s story as well as other allegations of sexual misconduct. The committee on Aug. 17 that it is reviewing allegations that Gomez “may have engaged in sexual misconduct” that would violate House code of conduct rules around engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with a congressional staffer. 

It’s unclear whether the same staffer allegedly seen kissing Gomez is also being interviewed by the panel. The allegations remain vague, but were described by the lawyers defending one of the anonymous women behind the allegations as “sexual harassment and assault.” Congressional ethics rules do not prohibit consensual relationships between House members and staff that do not work under them. But Congress is working to pass a rule prohibiting relationships between members and staffers, regardless of whether one supervises the other.

Gomez admitted to making mistakes outside of his marriage in a statement to CNN and said that he would “cooperate with any Ethics Committee inquiry and provide it with whatever information it might need.”

Gomez was not available for an interview for this story, and a spokesperson for the representative declined to comment further, referring SFGATE to previous statements. Tom Rust, a spokesperson for the Ethics Committee, also refused to comment on the status of the investigation. 

The allegations and pending investigation are now lingering over this competitive congressional race. 

Gonzales-Torres’ campaign has called for Gomez to drop out of the race because of the alleged misconduct. Gonzalez-Torres was not available for an interview for this story. Cyndi Otteson, her campaign manager, told SFGATE that the potential fallout from the investigation could ultimately help Gonzales-Torres, but, she added, “we’re not thinking that’s enough to win.”

Otteson said voters might not know about the allegations against Gomez, who has been reelected every midterm election since he won almost a decade ago.

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“[The district] is one of the poorest districts in the nation; it’s a high poverty, rent-burdened district. We know that by and large constituents don’t have the privilege of being informed,” she said. “They’re used to voting for Jimmy Gomez. He’s been on the ballot since 2017.”

Progressive record questioned

Both candidates are clearly progressives: They’re both pro-labor and are aligned on the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. Gomez supported a ban on large investors from buying single-family homes, and Gonzales-Torres has made campaign promises to expand housing vouchers for families and provide rent relief for families. Both are also Latino, much like a large part of the electorate in their district.

Gomez is a former union organizer and was previously endorsed by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2024. He serves as a deputy whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, was also a part of a group of Democrats that called for the resignation of Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and supported a ceasefire in Gaza. But he has also received $3 million from AIPAC and other special interest groups and has taken money from the cryptocurrency lobby. 

The U.S.’s relationship with Israel has become the biggest dividing line between the candidates. Gonzales-Torres, a former housing advocate, told the American Prospect that she ran for Congress out of frustration with Gomez’s refusal to support the Block the Bombs Act, which would restrict the U.S. sale of arms to Israel’s military. Gomez has supported military aid to Israel while also calling for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza and for humanitarian support for Palestinians. 

Gonzales-Torres has refused to accept any support from AIPAC, the influential PAC that supports the Israeli government, while Gomez has received more than $2.6 million in support from the group, according to the advocacy organization Track AIPAC. 

Tightening race 

Gonzales-Torres entered the race a year before Gomez was accused of sexual misconduct and in that time has built a base of progressive support. She has endorsements from the Democratic Socialists of America, dozens of progressive grassroots groups, the influential Justice Democrats PAC that helped elect Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, and former Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg.

A September poll placed Gonzales-Torres ahead with 41%, and Gomez with 38%, of likely voter support, according to Guardrails Alliance, a group opposed to the artificial intelligence industry, according to Semafor. The poll found Gonzales-Torres was leading with voters 63% to 22% when they found out that Gomez is supported by Leading the Future, a Trump-affiliated pro-AI super PAC.

The poll did not ask about the allegations against Gomez and instead focused on voters’ perceptions of candidates and AI policy.

Still, the allegations against Gomez have led to pushback. 

Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with two top Democrats, Minority Whip Katherine Clark and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, called the allegations “serious and disturbing.” They urged the panel to execute a “swift” investigation. Nearly 100 party delegates called on the California Democratic Party to rescind its endorsement for him, according to a petition Gonzales-Torres’ team shared with SFGATE. The state party did not return SFGATE’s request for comment. 

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673 in the U.S.