By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
Game on for the newly-drawn 41st Congressional District!
That after Hector De La Torre, current executive director of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments (GCCOG) and longtime community leader, announced yesterday that he is running for the new House seat created through the passage of Proposition 50.
De La Torre joins U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez, who announced last month that she will run in the new district after the veteran federal lawmaker saw her current 38th Congressional district cut in half through Prop 50.
The new, post-Prop 50 41st district is mostly in Los Angeles County the major cities being: Downey (14%), Whittier (12%), Lakewood (9%), Bellflower (9%), La Habra (8%), South Whittier (7%), La Mirada (7%), Norwalk (6%), Long Beach (5%), Brea (4%), Bell Gardens (4%), Pico Rivera (3%), Fullerton (2%), Santa Fe Springs (2%), Rossmoor (2%), East Whittier (1%), Los Alamitos (1%), and Seal Beach (1%).
It contains portions of pre-Prop 50 congressional districts 38, 42, 45, 44, and 47. It also aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strategy of countering the GOP gerrymandering of Texas to keep control of the House in the midterm elections, with the Golden State doing its own Democratic gerrymandering.
The new 41st district has about 46% registered Democratic voters, compared to 26% registered Republican voters and 26% registered voters as no party preference or other.
“Washington DC isn’t responsive to our needs, and isn’t providing solutions to the challenges we face. I will use my decades of on-the-ground problem-solving to address the real issues facing our communities: affordability, housing, and jobs,” said De La Torre. “I will be your voice in Washington, using my experience to prioritize your needs.”
De La Torre, a former State Assemblymember from 2004 to 2010, grew up and raised his family in Southeast Los Angeles. He led the historic recall of corrupt politician Albert Robles, fought against taxpayer-funded give-aways during California’s budget crisis, and is a regional leader in health care, environmental protection, and economic development.
Several media outlets, including the Downey Patriot, first reported that Sanchez is jumping into the newly created district race.
The 56-year-old, a native of Orange County, was first elected to Congress in 2003 and sits as a senior member of the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means, which wields significant influence over the Congressional purse strings.
“Our communities are not defined by lines on a map. They’re defined by the people who live, work, and raise their families here. Boundaries may change, but my commitment to fighting for the people I love will never waver,” Sánchez said in a statement the Downey Patriot reported after she announced on Social Media that she is running for the new district.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together for Southern California, and I’m ready to keep fighting for our communities in Congress when Democrats retake the majority in the next election,” her statement continued.
The 2026 Congressional primary is slated for June 2, and the general election is Nov. 3.
