A special election forCalifornia's 1st congressional district United States House of Representatives will be held on August 4, 2026 to fill the vacancy created by the death ofRepublican CongressmanDoug LaMalfa .[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
Although the election will take place after the passage ofProposition 50 in 2025 , the proposition does not impact this election because the proposition goes into effect for the term that begins on January 3, 2027 (the special election is for the term that expires on that date).[ 5]
Redistricting and scheduling [ edit ] In 2025, California voters passed Proposition 50, an amendment toCalifornia's constitution that supplanted the map created by theCalifornia Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) with a map that favorsDemocratic candidates. As a result, District 1 was redrawn to favor Democrats much more, removing the Republican-leaning rural counties ofModoc andSiskiyou along with theRedding andYuba–Sutter metropolitan areas, while adding the Democratic-leaning city ofSanta Rosa .[ 6] 2024 presidential election , the newly redrawn 1st district would have voted forKamala Harris by a margin of 54.5–42.3.[ 7] Doug LaMalfa intended to seek reelection to the 1st district despite the new map.[ 8] [ 9]
The congressional map drawn by Proposition 50 is set to become official following the state's primary on June 2.[ 10] [ 5] [ 10] Nebraska's 1st district in2022 .[ 11]
Republican control of the House [ edit ] LaMalfa died one day after the resignation of RepublicanMarjorie Taylor Greene , bringing the totalRepublicans in theHouse of Representatives to a bare majority of 218 to 213Democrats with 4 vacancies.[ 11] [ 12] The Wall Street Journal Politico Speaker Mike Johnson , as the Republicans can only lose two votes, placing increased prominence on the special election.[ 13] [ 14]
Nonpartisan blanket primary [ edit ] Angelita Valles (Republican), candidate for Congress in2012 and formerVictorville city councilwoman[ 16] James Gallagher (R)
Executive branch officials U.S. representatives Ken Calvert ,U.S. representative fromCalifornia's 41st congressional district (1993–present)[ 21] Vince Fong ,U.S. representative fromCalifornia's 20th congressional district (2024–present)[ 21] Darrell Issa ,U.S. representative fromCalifornia's 40th congressional district (2001–2019, 2021–present)[ 21] Kevin Kiley ,U.S. representative fromCalifornia's 48th congressional district (2023–present)[ 21] Young Kim ,U.S. representative fromCalifornia's 40th congressional district (2021–present)[ 21] Tom McClintock ,U.S. representative fromCalifornia's 5th congressional district (2009–present)[ 21] Jay Obernolte ,U.S. representative fromCalifornia's 23rd congressional district (2021–present)[ 21] David Valadao ,U.S. representative fromCalifornia's 22nd congressional district (2013–2019, 2021–present)[ 21] Individuals ^ Ferris, Sarah."California GOP Congressman Doug LaMalfa dies at 65" .CNN . RetrievedJanuary 6, 2026 . ^ Gedeon, Joseph."Doug LaMalfa, California Republican congressman, dies aged 65" .The Guardian . RetrievedJanuary 6, 2026 . ^ Feinberg, Andrew."California GOP Congressman Doug LaMalfa dies unexpectedly at age 65" .The Independent . RetrievedJanuary 6, 2026 . ^a b Chiochios, Nathan (January 16, 2026)."Gavin Newsom announces special election to fill Doug LaMalfa's seat" .The Press Democrat . RetrievedJanuary 17, 2026 . ^a b Graham, Andrew (January 16, 2026)."Gavin Newsom sets last possible date for special election to fill LaMalfa's seat" .The Sacramento Bee . RetrievedJanuary 16, 2026 . ^ Battaglia, Roman; Grossi, Sarina (October 29, 2025)."From cattle country to wine country: How Prop 50 could reshape California's 1st District" .Jefferson Public Radio . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 . ^ "CA 2026 Congressional" .Daves Redistricting . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 .^ Arthur, Damon (August 20, 2025)."Who's running for Congress in the district LaMalfa represents, so far" .Record Searchlight . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 . ^ Hamann, Emily."California District Map Shakeup Puts GOP Seats in Jeopardy" .State Affairs . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 . ^a b Holden, Lindsey (January 6, 2026)."A shocking death and a special election" .Politico . RetrievedJanuary 6, 2026 . ^a b Nir, David; Singer, Jeff."Morning Digest: Here's how Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa's seat will be filled" .The Downballot . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 . ^ Karni, Annie (January 6, 2026)."LaMalfa's Death Further Depletes House G.O.P. Majority" .The New York Times . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 . ^ Hill, Meredith Lee (January 6, 2026)."The House GOP confronts a shocking loss and a difficult road ahead" .Politico . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 . ^ Beavers, Olivia (January 6, 2026)."GOP Lawmaker's Death Pressures Republican Majority" .The Wall Street Journal . RetrievedJanuary 7, 2026 . ^a b Mejia, Alejandro Mejia (January 14, 2026)."Assemblyman James Gallagher announces bid for District 1 seat" .Action News Now . RetrievedJanuary 14, 2026 . ^ "VALLES, ANGELITA - Candidate overview" .FEC.gov . January 6, 2026. RetrievedFebruary 8, 2026 .^ Miller, Maya C. (January 9, 2026)."Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a steadfast advocate for California's North State, dies at 65" .CalMatters ^ Magri, Ken (January 9, 2026)."Butte County remembers late representative Doug LaMalfa" .Chico News & Review . RetrievedJanuary 9, 2026 . ^ Nguyễn, Trân (January 6, 2026)."California Rep. Doug LaMalfa's death leaves a vacant House seat. What happens next?" .Associated Press . RetrievedJanuary 6, 2026 . ^ Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (February 6, 2026)."Morning Digest: Republicans have their first shot at a special election flip on Saturday" . RetrievedFebruary 6, 2026 . ^a b c d e f g h Graham, Andrew; Russell, Lia (January 14, 2026)."This assemblymember announces run to finish LaMalfa's term in Congress" .The Sacramento Bee . RetrievedJanuary 15, 2026 . Official campaign sites
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