California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa has died aged 65. LaMalfa’s death narrows the already thin GOP majority in the House. With his death and the resignation of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the party breakdown in the House stands at 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats, with four vacancies.
Democrats are favoured to pick up additional seats from special elections in the coming months. Two Democrats are in a runoff in Texas at the end of the month. The election to replace now-New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill will take place later this year.
His electoral prospects, however, were increasingly at risk in 2026 after California adopted new congressional maps that favor Democrats.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday mourned LaMalfa in remarks before the House GOP conference. “He was a fantastic person,.
“He voted with me 100% of the time.” Trump said
Doug LaMalfa Impact
Born on July 2, 1960, in Oroville, California, LaMalfa was raised in a farming family in Northern California’s Sacramento Valley, a background that has strongly shaped his political priorities and public positions.
He attended California State University, Chico, where he studied agricultural business before returning to work on his family’s rice farm. His experience as a fourth-generation rice farmer gave him first-hand exposure to the challenges facing rural communities. This included water availability, environmental regulation, and infrastructure. These issues would later define much of his legislative agenda.
LaMalfa’s political career began at the local level. He served on the Butte County Board of Supervisors from 2002 to 2008, where he focused on land use, public safety, and local economic development. In 2008, he was elected to the California State Senate, representing the 4th Senate District. During his tenure from 2008 to 2012, he became known as a strong advocate for agriculture, property rights, and reduced regulation. He often clashed with California’s Democratic leadership over environmental and water policies.
In 2012, LaMalfa was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican. He represented California’s 1st Congressional District, which covers a large, predominantly rural area in the northern part of the state. He has since been re-elected multiple times. This has consolidated his position as one of the leading conservative voices from rural California in Congress.
In Washington, LaMalfa has focused heavily on agricultural policy, water resource management, forestry, and wildfire prevention. He has been a vocal critic of what he describes as excessive federal and state regulations. In his view, these regulations harm farmers, ranchers, and small communities. He has also opposed restrictions on water deliveries from major river systems. He argues that such policies undermine food production and regional economies.
LaMalfa’s tenure has not been without controversy. He has drawn criticism for his positions on climate change, environmental regulation, and gun rights, as well as for aligning closely with former President Donald Trump and the broader conservative movement within the Republican Party. Supporters, however, see him as a consistent advocate for rural interests and a counterweight to urban-dominated policymaking in California.
