With James Gallagher as LaMalfa’s replacement, an ardent conservative will continue to represent California’s District 1 — for now
James Gallagher, a former state assembly member from Yuba City, will represent Shasta in its final months as a part of congressional District 1. But new Prop. 50 lines will pose a significant challenge to Gallagher’s bid to retain the seat moving forward.
The North State’s congressional representation was rocked in 2026, amid the double hit of Prop. 50 redistricting and the death of Congressman Doug LaMalfa.
As destabilizing as these events may have been for many rural voters, the North State has maintained some sense of continuity with the election of James Gallagher to replace LaMalfa for the last few months of his term.
Gallagher, a former California Assembly member from Yuba City, was sworn in on June 10. He’s described LaMalfa as a mentor figure and was supported by LaMalfa’s widow, Jill LaMalfa, in his bid to replace the deeply supported congressman in the interim.
In a statement addressing his victory, Gallagher said “the communities and people of the North State are united through our history, our jobs, our farms and industries, and most importantly, by our values and roots that run deep into the land.”
The day before his swearing in on Capitol Hill, he officially resigned from his seat in the California Assembly, where he had represented much of the Central Valley between Shasta County and Sacramento. Gallagher had served in the assembly for nearly 12 years, and would have reached his term limit, as defined by the state constitution, later this year.
He’s long been a vocal advocate for conservative and rural voters in California, going so far as to present a proposal to partition the state into coastal and inland parts after the passage of Prop. 50. In 2025, he told Shasta Scout that his “two state solution” for the region was not partisan, and was instead about rural Californians’ right to “self determination.”
In addition to filling LaMalfa’s vacancy, Gallagher also ran this June for the state’s newly gerrymandered District 1, a feature of California’s updated congressional map which will be put into practice starting next year.
Whether or not Gallagher will hold the new District 1 seat under Prop. 50 lines is still in question. He received the highest share of votes on June 2 with 42.1%. Trailing extremely close behind him is Democratic State Senator Mike McGuire with 41.8%. Gallagher and McGuire are now poised to run against each other again in November’s general election, determining much of the North State’s representation for the next two years.
Under California’s new district configuration, Shasta County will no longer be a part of what is now Gallagher’s district, joining District 2 which includes the north coast down to Marin, instead.
In the new District 2, Jared Huffman was the top vote-getter for in the primary with 56% of the vote, followed by Robin Littau with 12%, though results are still unofficial. The two are likely to run off against each other in the fall. When Huffman visited Shasta County earlier this year while campaigning, he promised local constituents that if he wins, he will establish an office in Redding.
6.23.26 9:02 am: We’ve updated this article with corrected information about the top two vote-getters in the congressional races for District 1 and District 2. In California, the top two-vote getters in the congressional primary move on to the general, regardless of how wide a margin they won.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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He was a non-entity in the Assembly, yet another ineffectual Republican minority leader, and now has his moment in the sun as LaMalfa’s temporary successor. He will be sent into well earned obscurity in November. Good.
Selah
He talks about his pride in being maga and a proponent of new California.
I didn’t vote for him. Not my representative.
Gallagher is a Trump-endorsed “America First Patriot MAGA Trumper” who has often publicly welcomed Trump’s endorsement. Gallagher is an anti-choice, anti-union, anti-environment far-right politician who, like the neoconfederate State of Jefferson, wants to split the state with his “two-state solution.” So far, he has not disappointed MAGA or Trump with his votes in Congress.
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Let’s face it. When it comes to Trump, you’re either on the bus or off the bus. Shasta County voters would likely support Gallagher, as they have Trump, but Gallagher’s avatar is a court-adjudicated rapist – a 34-count convicted felon who wanted to play the redistricting game. Democratic California fought back, and MAGA lost. And now, come January, we’ll have Congressman Jarred Huffman as our Representative. Thank you, MAGA!
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Will Gallagher try to shed his extremist far-right voting record in the CA and in Congress? We, Gallager, admit he made an error in judgment supporting Trump, admit he was wrong, and publicly speak out against the white nationalist, neoconfederate MAGA Trumpian stance? After all, CA. D. 1 is now a bit Blue, and the polling for Gallagher’s avatar is way down in the toilet. I’ll bet $5.00 bucks that come November, Mike McGuire will be elected CA D-1 Congressional Representative.
Let’s face it, Trump is your president because he was the only option for the majority of America. You should have pushed harder for a better candidate, but you settled. Will you learn anything for the next election?
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The “rape” charges are political.
Another true believer.
What flavor is your koolaid
Not Biden Bumbleberry or any glass Kamala drank from.
Trump is the worse president ever.
Everybody says so.
“Trump is your president because he was the only option for the majority of America.” —NC
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The falsity of this absurd proclamation can’t be overstated. Even though Der Pumpkinführer won a plurality of the votes in the last election, he did not win a majority (he got 49.8%). He lost the plurality of votes in both elections prior to that one.
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On top of that, he only beat Harris by a margin of 1.5%, which he claims as a landslide. And as of today, his approval rating is at a historic low for a POTUS still in the early stages of a term. If the election were held today, he’d get ripped a new anal orifice by a huge percentage.
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Even many MAGAs are starting to see that Orange Jesus, M.D. is a sick narcissist, a fraud, a failure, a grifter, and a national embarrassment. A bad congenital liar too stupid to realize that there will be no proof—video or otherwise—of anyone vandalizing the reflecting pool’s new surface but for his limo and accompanying motorcade traversing the length of the empty pool before the new coating had cured. A horrible Chief of State who picked a fight with Iran, got no support from our traditional allies because he’d previously shat on all of them, and is now surrendering on Iran’s terms.
You liked Biden and Kamala? Why? What was it? LOL
“There, Jared Huffman has already secured the congressional seat in the primary with 56% of the vote, though results remain unofficial.”
The Scout tries to get things right, so in that spirit I share that this is not correct. There will be a runoff between Huffman and whoever comes in second place, likely Robin Littau.
For state and federal races, there is always a runoff under the top-two system. Different from county elections.
Feel free to correct and delete this. 🙂
We appreciate this feedback! We have updated the article to correct our mistake with a correction notice time stamped at bottom.
Whatever works. Thanks!
Lol what a mess.
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If anyone is up for a run at a ridiculous map contest it’s Gallagher who didnt include enough of the coast in his own 2-state proposal. James! You need more ocean front access. Ask Bolivia. Ask George Strait about his AZ property.
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Just another new ca maga