California assemblyman announces run to finish LaMalfa's term in Congress

Andrew Graham and Lia Russell, The Sacramento Bee on Jan 14, 2026

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A longtime leading Republican in the California Assembly announced Wednesday he would run in a special election to serve out the term of Doug LaMalfa, the Northern California congressman who died suddenly last week.

Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, opened his campaign touting the support of LaMalfa’s widow, Jill LaMalfa, and her family.

“In the midst of our sadness and navigation of such a profound loss, I find myself very concerned about who may replace Doug as our representative in Washington, D.C.,” Jill LaMalfa said in a statement published by Gallagher’s campaign. “The tireless work and unimaginable hours spent away from family by Doug and his entire staff, cannot be left to end in vain.”

The late congressman would have wanted Gallagher, a longtime ally and kindred political spirit, to finish out his term that ends Jan. 3, 2027, LaMalfa said.

“My pledge to the people of the First District, is that I will work tirelessly to maintain the type of representation that is Doug’s legacy,” Gallagher said in his own statement, “always willing to listen, putting the people first, being a strong voice for our rural communities and standing tall for the values we hold dear — faith, family, and freedom.”

Gallagher, an attorney, was first elected to the California Assembly in 2014 and served as the minority party leader in that chamber last year. His current term ends this year, and he is ineligible for reelection to the state Legislature because of term limits.

Gallagher will likely only be in office for a few months if elected to serve the remainder of LaMalfa’s term in the special election, for which Gov. Gavin Newsom has not yet set a date. The special election will reflect the 1st District’s current conservative-leaning boundaries, per state law which says current district lines must stay in place when electing a successor after a Congress member vacates office.

After voters passed Proposition 50 last year, the boundary of LaMalfa’s district was shifted south to include more liberal Bay Area parts in a bid to flip five House seats for Democrats. Soon after Prop. 50 passed, former Senate president pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, said he would run for the newly redrawn 1st District. McGuire has a challenger in the Democrat primary from Audrey Denney.

The general election for the redrawn district is in November.

LaMalfa was a vehement opponent of Prop. 50. He told The Sacramento Bee he worried that rural voters’ concerns about issues like wolf threats to livestock would be drowned out by liberal residents concerned about environmental protections.

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