WASHINGTON _ A one-time campaign foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump who served 12 days in jail for lying to the FBI has filed paperwork to run for the seat occupied by resigning California Democratic Rep. Katie Hill.
George Papadopoulos, who confirmed he was considering a House run after being released from jail in December, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission on Tuesday. The document lists his party affiliation as Republican.
If Papadopoulos decides to launch a formal campaign, he will face stiff competition.
California's 25th District is one of seven in the Golden State that Democrats flipped in 2018. After winning a competitive primary, Hill went on to defeat former GOP Rep. Steve Knight by 9 points.
Voters in the district, which is north of Los Angeles and includes most of Simi Valley, had traditionally backed Republicans but supported Hillary Clinton by 7 points in 2016 _ even as Knight defeated his challenger by 6 points.
The district has a sizable Hispanic population, and aerospace technology is a major industry.
Navy veteran Mike Garcia has led the GOP field in fundraising, with $322,000 in his campaign account on Sept. 30, according to disclosures to the Federal Election Commission. Garcia has also been endorsed by former GOP Rep. Buck McKeon, who represented the district for more than 20 years. Garcia said in a statement Sunday night that Hill "did the right thing" by resigning.
Another Republican, Lancaster City Council member Angela Underwood-Jacobs, ended the quarter with $188,000 on hand. She had called on Hill to resign after the allegations were made public.
