Jimmy Gomez

Several California congressional primaries pit establishment Democrats against insurgent challengers, a dynamic that could complicate Hakeem Jeffries' hold on House Democratic leadership if he seeks the speakership in a future majority. Under California's top-two primary system, some races feature Democrat-vs-Democrat matchups between incumbents and younger, further-left or anti-establishment rivals.

Rep. Mike Thompson faces venture capitalist Eric Jones, who says he wouldn't commit to backing Jeffries as speaker. Rep. Doris Matsui, who trailed in the June primary, faces progressive Sacramento Councilmember Mai Vang, who has said she won't support Jeffries. In the race to succeed Nancy Pelosi, state Sen. Scott Wiener backs Jeffries while rival Connie Chan says any speaker candidate must "earn" her vote. Rep. Aisha Wahab, who already defied party leadership once, faces Melissa Hernandez in a rematch. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, under a House Ethics Committee investigation he denies, faces progressive challenger Angela Gonzales-Torres. Many challengers are aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, signaling a potential bloc of leadership skeptics if elected.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) is facing a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, and attorneys for one accuser are disputing his claim that his actions were "consensual." Lawyers Lisa Banks and Sarah Nesbitt said they represent a woman interviewed by the committee who alleges Gomez sexually harassed and assaulted her, calling it "the latest example of brazen sexual misconduct by a member of Congress." They said they expect the committee's investigation to reach the same conclusion and pledged to cooperate with the inquiry.

Gomez, a former campaign co-chair for ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell, acknowledged the investigation this week, saying his actions were "consensual in nature" and did not violate the law or House ethics rules, while admitting the situation had hurt people close to him and that he sought professional help. The case adds to a string of sexual misconduct controversies involving members of Congress and raises questions about potential consequences for Gomez's political future.