Six term District 1 congressman and rice farmer championed rural issues, died at 65
By Ken Magri
Last Tuesday, on a morning dominated by news about the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, the region’s longtime congressman suddenly passed away.
Doug LaMalfa, a six-term Republican rice farmer from Richvale, died during emergency surgery. His death was announced by Chief of Staff Mark Spannagel on the House Republican website.
“Early this morning, Congressman Doug LaMalfa returned home to the Lord,” the site stated. “He leaves a lasting legacy of servant leadership and kindness to the North State.”
The problems had started the Monday night before, when emergency medical personnel arrived at La Malfa’s Richvale home after a 911 call. The congressman was transported 25 miles north to Enloe Hospital.
Two sources reported that LaMalfa suffered an aneurysm followed by a heart attack, according to Politico.
The congressman was immediately taken into surgery and succumbed while on the operating table. The Butte County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the death as happening on January 6. It also announced that an autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
Later that morning, the congressman’s re-election website partially closed down, posting only a single photo and a short statement about his life.
Sentiments about LaMalfa’s passing quickly followed.
“He was a fantastic person,” said President Trump while speaking to Republicans in a speech at the Kennedy Center. “Man, that was a quick one. I don’t know quite yet what happened, but boy is that a tough one? He was just with us. He was our friend. All of us, every one of us.”
Governor Newsom ordered state capitol flags to be lowered at half-staff and issued a more prepared statement.
“Congressman Doug LaMalfa was a devoted public servant who deeply loved his country, his state, and the communities he represented,” Newsom said. “While we often approached issues from different perspectives, he fought every day for the people of California with conviction and care. He will be deeply missed. Jennifer and I are holding Doug’s family, loved ones, and colleagues in our thoughts as California mourns his passing. In honor of Congressman LaMalfa, flags at the State Capitol and Capitol Annex Swing Space will be flown at half-staff.”
The three candidates for LaMalfa’s District 1 seat also issued statements of condolence.
Candidate Mike McGuire wrote, “Erika and I extend our deepest condolence to Doug LaMalfa’s family, friends and colleagues. Public service is a noble calling, regardless of party, and Congressman LaMalfa’s dedication to serving the people of California deserves recognition, respect and gratitude.”
Democrat Kyle Wilson commented, “I was saddened to hear of Doug LaMalfa’s passing. While we often disagreed on policy, he represented this region for many years and was deeply rooted in Northern California. In the days ahead, I hope we can come together to ensure the people of this district continue to have strong, thoughtful representation that meets the challenges families are facing.”
Candidate Audrey Denney posted on X, “My thoughts are Congressman LaMalfa’s wife, Jill, their children and entire family today. I appreciated his willingness to serve the North State for decades.”
Dedicated to California’s rural lands
As a California assemblyman and state senator from 2002-2012, La Malfa championed agricultural and rural issues early in his political career. As a congressman, first elected in 2012, he thought the nation’s farmlands and backcountries were being ignored by urban voters.
LaMalfa chaired the Congressional Western Caucus, which focuses on rural concerns, while bringing more water to farmers in the Klamath Basin.
LaMalfa worked to secure $76 million in recovery funds after the 2018 Camp Fire and prioritized rural broadband high-speed internet access. In 2020, he secured grants to rebuild the Honey Run Covered Bridge between Chico and Paradise.
In 2025 LaMalfa was a co-sponsor and advocate for the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, which removed the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act.
One of La Malfa’s last public appearances in the district was to attend a mid-November rally in Butte Meadows, organized by residents protesting the unexpected closure of the Colby Mountain lookout tower east of Chico.
“LaMalfa took a Saturday out to spend several hours up here, not just at the meeting, but talking to community members and hearing their concerns,” said Butte Meadows resident Laurie Bowers.
Unwavering conservative
LaMalfa was also a rock-solid conservative who President Trump said voted with him “100% of the time.” He opposed both impeachments of Trump.
On January 6, 2021, even after the riots, La Malfa voted against the certification of Joe Biden as the rightfully elected 46th President of the United States, saying he wanted an investigation.
“My vote today was to ensure that the investigation happened before Inauguration Day,” wrote LaMalfa on his congressional website.
LaMalfa’s conservative positions against LGBTQ+ rights did not endear him to that community, nor its supporters. In 2015, he co-sponsored a bill to constitutionally ban gay marriage and in 2022 voted against federally legalizing it, saying it would lead to polygamy.
In 2023, LaMalfa introduced a bill to prohibit schools from allowing students to change their pronouns without parental consent, calling transgender care “medical experimentation.”
LaMalfa also famously hung the State of Jefferson flag in his Chico office, but never officially endorsed the long-running campaign which seeks to form a 51st state by combining several counties in Southern Oregon and Northern California.
But in 2013 he told a group in Tule Lake, near the Oregon border, that if his constituents wanted it, he would support the new state, joking about being its first governor.
Last August, LaMalfa held his first Chico town hall meeting in eight years. It didn’t go well when he tried to defend his support for the One Big Beautiful Act. “Some members of his audience jeered and heckled him,” remembered Yucheng Tang in ChicoSol.
When will LaMalfa’s seat be filled?
By California state law, the governor is required to hold a special election for the open seat within 200 days. That would allow Governor Newsom to delay the election until the June 2, 2026 primary election, which could cause some confusion on the ballot.
A special election covering the final months of LaMalfa’s term would use the old congressional district map.
“The special election will take place within the current district boundaries, not the new redrawn district created by Prop 50,” said Chico State history professor Michael Magliari. “Thus, Mike McGuire could not run, but Audrey Denney could. Still, within the old district, it’s likely a strong Republican replacement candidate would prevail.”
Would Assemblymember James Gallagher run for the Republican side? When asked by KXTV News in Sacramento, Gallagher said it was too early, adding that he was still grieving LaMalfa, who mentored him as a young politician.
Unlike the special election, the primary election for the next two-year term starting in 2027 will use the new District 1 map passed by Proposition 50, redrawn to give an advantage to Democrat candidates.
This could create a situation where a Republican candidate wins the rest of LaMalfa’s current term but most likely loses the November election to a Democrat.
“Someone like Gallagher would have to be convinced that running in the special election would be worth it, only if they had a reasonable shot at winning a simultaneous race in the new Prop 50 district,” said Magliari. “But what ambitious Republican would want to run just to serve in the House for six or seven months?”
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