As Rep. LaMalfa Is Mourned, Succession Talks Begin

From Washington, D.C., to Chico, California — hometown of Doug LaMalfa — the Republican congressman from the Golden State’s 1st Congressional District was universally mourned following his death Sunday at age 65.

Jon Fleischman, editor of FlashReport on California politics, spoke for many when he told Newsmax: "I was heartbroken to hear the tragic news of Congressman LaMalfa's sudden and unexpected passing. Doug was a stand-up guy and a close friend." 

"He was someone who always had your back. And Doug had the back of the taxpayers he represented, he continued. "And he had the unique ability to go toe to toe with somebody on complex policy, when they least expected it from this affable farmer with a big cowboy hat." 

"But at the same time, he also had an ability to connect with people with both humor and sincerity," Fleischman said.

But although it is considered indelicate to speculate about a deceased office-holder’s succession before his funeral is even held, Republicans from California who spoke to Newsmax on background agreed there will be swift movement to settle on a replacement for seven-term LaMalfa.

Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is likely to hold the initial primary on June 2 — the same day as the primaries throughout the state.

Under California’s "jungle primary," all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the two top vote-getters regardless of party compete in a subsequent run-off.

The date of the run-off is uncertain but most observers anticipate it will be sometime in July or August.

This will give the next congressman a term that will last until January of 2027 — when the district will cease to exist.

When voters enacted Proposition 50 in November, they gave their endorsement to a Democrat-crafted redistricting plan that increases the Democrat edge of House seats from California from its present 43-9 to 47-5.

One of the major changes implemented under the plan was turning LaMalfa’s solidly Republican 1st District into one almost sure to flip to Democrats.

Two possible GOP candidates in the special election are state Sen. Jim Gallagher and former State Sen. Brian Dahle, the runner-up to Newsom in the 2022 gubernatorial election and presently a candidate for lieutenant governor this year.

Brian Dahle’s wife, Megan Dahle, succeeded him in the senate but is unlikely to run for Congress so soon.

Gallagher, the Dahles, and LaMalfa were all close friends and political allies, so it is likely that they will join forces behind a single candidate rather than compete against one another for the vacant House seat. 

Noting that his friend LaMalfa’s death means the Republicans now hold their closest-ever edge over House Democrats (218-213 seats), Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., said, "Of course it makes Speaker [Mike] Johnson’s job harder.

"He pointed out that with other vacancies and special election prospects, we will be operating with a one-vote majority for the next six months," McClintock said.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.