Socialist Gonzales-Torres ties Rep. Jimmy Gomez in Los Angeles House race, poll finds

Two Democrats are tied in California's 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles, two days before Election Day. A USC Democracy and Fair Elections Lab poll found Rep. Jimmy Gomez and challenger Angela Gonzales-Torres each at 34 percent among likely voters ¹. When undecided voters were asked which way they leaned, Gonzales-Torres led within the margin of error ¹.

Gonzales-Torres, 31, is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) ¹. Gomez is seeking his sixth term ¹. Under California's top-two primary system, both Democrats advanced to the November 3 ballot ¹. The district includes Boyle Heights, Chinatown, downtown, Eagle Rock, Little Tokyo and Pico-Union ¹.

An ethics probe hangs over the incumbent

Gomez won nearly 46 percent in the June primary, more than 15 points ahead of Gonzales-Torres ¹. In August, the House Ethics Committee said it was investigating him over allegations of "inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer" ¹. Lawyers for a woman the committee interviewed later said she had accused him of sexual harassment and assault ¹.

Gomez has acknowledged "personal mistakes outside my marriage." He says his actions were consensual and did not break the law or House rules ¹. When voters were asked what they associate with Gomez, they most often mentioned the ethics allegations, according to Politico's report on the poll ¹.

From Channel GOPMcMorrow: 1.6 million Democrats, 900,000 Republicans votedMallory McMorrow · 127 plays · captioned, with the source named

The Gomez campaign questioned the poll's method. A spokesperson said an email-only survey risks missing voters who don't regularly use email ¹. An earlier poll, commissioned by the tech-regulation group Guardrails Alliance, had Gonzales-Torres ahead 41% to 38%, inside its 4.9-point margin of error ².

Money and message

Gonzales-Torres says her campaign takes no corporate money and that its average donation is about $30 ¹. Guardrails Alliance has spent more than $1 million supporting her, and the Working Families Party has spent six figures ¹. Gomez's campaign says he is the only candidate endorsed by End Citizens United, a group that backs limits on money in politics ¹.

Gomez points to his record. He was among House Democrats who successfully sued the Trump administration after he was blocked from entering an immigration detention facility ¹. He supports Medicare for All and the Green New Deal ¹.

Gonzales-Torres is not running from the socialist label. "People call me far left all the time, but we just want health care," she said ¹. She has also called for redirecting ICE funding to housing, health care and education ¹.

People call me far left all the time, but we just want health care.

What it means for the party

That matters because DSA-backed challengers already defeated Democratic incumbents in New York and Colorado this year ¹. Gallup found in August that 43 percent of Americans view socialism positively, the highest in the 16 years it has asked ¹. DSA itself is less popular: 22 percent of registered voters viewed it favorably in a September NBC News poll, and 50 percent unfavorably ¹.

Jim Kessler of the centrist group Third Way told Newsweek the Gallup numbers reflect frustration with the economic status quo more than support for socialism ¹. In this district, 45 percent of likely voters view DSA positively, close to the 47 percent who view the Democratic Party positively ¹.

Votes are counted Tuesday.

The Record

1. Jun 2, 2026Gomez wins nearly 46 percent in the primary, more than 15 points ahead of Gonzales-Torres, and both advance ¹.
2. Aug 1, 2026House Ethics Committee announces an investigation of Gomez over allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer; he says his actions were consensual ¹.
3. Sep 10, 2026A poll commissioned by Guardrails Alliance shows Gonzales-Torres 41%, Gomez 38% ².
4. Oct 27, 2026USC poll shows Gomez and Gonzales-Torres tied at 34% among likely voters ¹.

Free to reprint Republish this story on your site or in your newsletter

Any site, blog or newsletter may run this story free of charge. Keep the credit line and its link to the original, do not sell it, and edit only for length or house style (the full terms). Photos carry their own licenses, noted under each photo on this page, so use the text alone unless a credit says otherwise.

<h2>Socialist Gonzales-Torres ties Rep. Jimmy Gomez in Los Angeles House race, poll finds</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/socialist-gonzales-torres-ties-rep-jimmy-gomez-in-los-angeles-house-race-poll-finds">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 1, 2026.</em></p> <p>Two Democrats are tied in California&#39;s 34th Congressional District in Los Angeles, two days before Election Day. A USC Democracy and Fair Elections Lab poll found Rep. Jimmy Gomez and challenger Angela Gonzales-Torres each at 34 percent among likely voters . When undecided voters were asked which way they leaned, Gonzales-Torres led within the margin of error .</p> <p>Gonzales-Torres, 31, is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) . Gomez is seeking his sixth term . Under California&#39;s top-two primary system, both Democrats advanced to the November 3 ballot . The district includes Boyle Heights, Chinatown, downtown, Eagle Rock, Little Tokyo and Pico-Union .</p> <h2>An ethics probe hangs over the incumbent</h2> <p>Gomez won nearly 46 percent in the June primary, more than 15 points ahead of Gonzales-Torres . In August, the House Ethics Committee said it was investigating him over allegations of &quot;inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer&quot; . Lawyers for a woman the committee interviewed later said she had accused him of sexual harassment and assault .</p> <p>Gomez has acknowledged &quot;personal mistakes outside my marriage.&quot; He says his actions were consensual and did not break the law or House rules . When voters were asked what they associate with Gomez, they most often mentioned the ethics allegations, according to Politico&#39;s report on the poll .</p> <p>The Gomez campaign questioned the poll&#39;s method. A spokesperson said an email-only survey risks missing voters who don&#39;t regularly use email . An earlier poll, commissioned by the tech-regulation group Guardrails Alliance, had Gonzales-Torres ahead 41% to 38%, inside its 4.9-point margin of error .</p> <h2>Money and message</h2> <p>Gonzales-Torres says her campaign takes no corporate money and that its average donation is about $30 . Guardrails Alliance has spent more than $1 million supporting her, and the Working Families Party has spent six figures . Gomez&#39;s campaign says he is the only candidate endorsed by End Citizens United, a group that backs limits on money in politics .</p> <p>Gomez points to his record. He was among House Democrats who successfully sued the Trump administration after he was blocked from entering an immigration detention facility . He supports Medicare for All and the Green New Deal .</p> <p>Gonzales-Torres is not running from the socialist label. &quot;People call me far left all the time, but we just want health care,&quot; she said . She has also called for redirecting ICE funding to housing, health care and education .</p> <blockquote><p>People call me far left all the time, but we just want health care.</p><p>&mdash; Angela Gonzales-Torres, Democratic candidate, California&#39;s 34th District</p></blockquote> <h2>What it means for the party</h2> <p>That matters because DSA-backed challengers already defeated Democratic incumbents in New York and Colorado this year . Gallup found in August that 43 percent of Americans view socialism positively, the highest in the 16 years it has asked . DSA itself is less popular: 22 percent of registered voters viewed it favorably in a September NBC News poll, and 50 percent unfavorably .</p> <p>Jim Kessler of the centrist group Third Way told Newsweek the Gallup numbers reflect frustration with the economic status quo more than support for socialism . In this district, 45 percent of likely voters view DSA positively, close to the 47 percent who view the Democratic Party positively .</p> <p>Votes are counted Tuesday.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/socialist-gonzales-torres-ties-rep-jimmy-gomez-in-los-angeles-house-race-poll-finds">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/socialist-gonzales-torres-ties-rep-jimmy-gomez-in-los-angeles-house-race-poll-finds.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

Copy the HTML Paste it into your editor's HTML view. The one-pixel image at the end tells our newsroom the story ran; it stores no reader data.

Sources

1. Newsweek, “DSA Candidate Flexes 'Bargaining Power' as Socialists Eye Congress Surge” (2026-11-01). newsweek.com/dsa-candidate-flexes-bargaining-power-socialist
2. Semafor, “California Dem faces election turbulence” (2026-09-11). semafor.com/article/09/10/2026/california-dem-faces-election

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.