Who are the contenders to represent the North State in a post-Prop. 50 election?

Starting in 2026, the congressional map of the North State is poised to shift dramatically after a majority of Californian voters supported Prop. 50 at the ballot box earlier this month. 

While certification of California’s vote is still pending, lawsuits led by the federal Department of Justice and California Republicans have already been filed against California’s governor and secretary of state hoping to invalidate the new map. 

Should California’s vote hold despite those lawsuits, Shasta County, which is currently part of District 1, will merge with District 2 next year, which stitches together Shasta, Siskiyou, Modoc, Trinity, Del Norte, Humboldt, Marin and parts of Sonoma and Mendocino along the coast.  Much of the rest of the North State will remain District 1, with the addition of portions of Mendocino, Sonoma, and Lake.

Under the new maps, Congressman Doug LaMalfa still plans to run for re-election representing District 1, a spokesperson confirmed for Shasta Scout this week. But in the wake of the Prop 50 vote, a major contender has announced his candidacy against LaMalfa’sthis week.

Democratic Senator Mike McGuire of Santa Rosa, is the highest ranking member of the California State Senate. In his campaign announcement, McGuire attempted to appeal directly to rural voters in more conservative parts of the state with his focus on farmers and healthcare needs — while also emphasizing his opposition to President Trump’s “destructive policies.” He and LaMalfa already share some of the same constituents, as McGuire’s state senatorial district overlaps with a portion of LaMalfa’s pre-Prop. 50 congressional district. 

Another vocal contender challenging LaMalfa is Audrey Denney, a Chico-based educator running as a Democrat in the new District 1 that will likely flip from red to blue amid redistricting. She initially ran against LaMalfa in 2020, receiving 43% of the vote. Her latest campaign messaging has been critical of LaMalfa and Republican policies pertaining to tariffs, healthcare, and LaMalfa’s financial support from PACs, which include the California Rice Growers Association, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and Huck PAC, founded by American ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. 

The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) lists LaMalfa’s other opponents in the 2026 election as Democrats Rose Penelope Yee, Casey Stewart, and Kyle Wilson, as well as Erika Rhoden, who listed her party affiliation as “unknown” in her FEC filing. James Salegui of Siskiyou County – which like Shasta, will shift to District 2 and out of LaMalfa’s purview – declared his bid for District 1 before the Prop. 50 election, but confirmed with Shasta Scout this weekthat he has ended his campaign. 

Residents of Shasta and other North State counties moving into the new District 2 boundaries will be presented with fresh choices for their congressional representation in 2026. Jared Huffman, a Marin county Democrat, has been the congressional representative of District 2 since 2013, and like LaMalfa,  has indicated plans to run for re-election in 2026. In the last District 2 election, Huffman won 71% of the vote against Republican Chris Coulombe.

Three additional candidates have already thrown their hat in the ring for District 2 representation, according to the FEC database.They include Democrat Kevin Eisele, a healthcare worker and former army medic, Independent Colby Smart, the superintendent of the Humboldt County Office of Education, and Cody Nikolas Polundiak, who has no campaign site and no party preference. 

The deadline to submit candidacy paperwork is in March. More candidates could still decide to run in the new District 1 and 2, including one or more Republicans. The California GOP has not yet endorsed candidates for either district.

---

Do you have information or a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.