With the death of longtime Congressman Doug LaMalfa, Northern California lost a major champion for farmers and others who live in rural communities across the North State.LaMalfa was a fourth-generation rice farmer from Butte County who first served in the state Legislature before being elected to seven terms in Congress. The congressman was a reliable Republican vote who focused on what mattered most to the people of his deeply conservative district. President Trump described him as someone he would never need to call at 3 a.m. to seal the deal. But that didn’t stop LaMalfa from working across the aisle with Democrats on issues that mattered to his constituents and to the state of California, wildfire relief, saving rural hospitals, and water storage just to name a few. The outpouring of condolences from all sides of the political spectrum after LaMalfa’s death was notable. Many of his Democratic colleagues described the cowboy hat-wearing congressman as a friend, despite major disagreements on policy. LaMalfa’s legacy reminds us that representing the people who voted for you and your district doesn’t mean you can’t find areas of agreement and understanding with those who hold different views. This type of mindset is key to responsible leadership in our state and for our country, on all sides of the aisle.Ariel Roblin is the president and general manager of KCRA 3 and My58. See more of her editorials here.
With the death of longtime Congressman Doug LaMalfa, Northern California lost a major champion for farmers and others who live in rural communities across the North State.
LaMalfa was a fourth-generation rice farmer from Butte County who first served in the state Legislature before being elected to seven terms in Congress.
The congressman was a reliable Republican vote who focused on what mattered most to the people of his deeply conservative district. President Trump described him as someone he would never need to call at 3 a.m. to seal the deal.
But that didn’t stop LaMalfa from working across the aisle with Democrats on issues that mattered to his constituents and to the state of California, wildfire relief, saving rural hospitals, and water storage just to name a few.
The outpouring of condolences from all sides of the political spectrum after LaMalfa’s death was notable. Many of his Democratic colleagues described the cowboy hat-wearing congressman as a friend, despite major disagreements on policy.
LaMalfa’s legacy reminds us that representing the people who voted for you and your district doesn’t mean you can’t find areas of agreement and understanding with those who hold different views.
This type of mindset is key to responsible leadership in our state and for our country, on all sides of the aisle.
Ariel Roblin is the president and general manager of KCRA 3 and My58. See more of her editorials here.