THERE IN THE DISTANCE MOVING NICELY. DAN, WE’LL CHECK BACK IN WITH YOU IN 30 MINUTES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. LET’S GET BACK TO COMMITMENT 2026. IN ADDITION TO THE PRIMARY, THERE WAS ALSO A SPECIAL ELECTION LAST NIGHT. ASSEMBLY MEMBER. JAMES GALLAGHER IS PROJECTED TO WIN THE SPECIAL ELECTION. THIS IS TO FINISH THE LATE CONGRESSMAN DOUG LAMALFA. HIS TERM. YOU CAN SEE HE IS WELL ABOVE THE 50% MARK NEEDED TO WIN OUTRIGHT AND AVOID A RUNOFF. IN AUGUST. HE WILL HEAD TO WASHINGTON RIGHT AWAY TO SERVE IN CONGRESS UNTIL JANUARY. NOW, THOSE WERE THE RESULTS OF THE FORMER DISTRICT, WHICH LEANED RED. HERE ARE THE RESULTS FOR THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, ONE THAT STARTS NEXT YEAR AS REDRAWN BY PROP 50 TO FAVOR DEMOCRATS. YOU SEE, GALLAGHER STILL HOLDS THE LEAD. IT IS MUCH SMALLER, THOUGH THE DISTRICT NOW INCLUDES MORE BLUE AREAS, INCLUDING PARTS OF THE NORTH BAY, TO FAVOR DEMOCRATS. MIKE MCGUIRE IS PROJECTED TO FACE GALLAGHER AFTER SPLITTING THE DEMOCRAT VOTE IN THE PRIMARY IN KCRA 3’S. ANAHITA JAFARY. A JAFARI IS FOLLOWING THIS RACE LIVE FROM THE NEWSROOM. SO YOU SPOKE WITH BOTH OF THOSE TOP CANDIDATES ABOUT HOW THE NEW DISTRICT LINES MAY AFFECT THEIR PRIORITIES, RIGHT? YES, I DID, LISA CURTIS, VOTERS IN CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ONE HAVE A UNIQUE SITUATION THIS YEAR, SOME VOTING AS MANY AS FOUR TIMES FOR THEIR REPRESENTATIVE. THE CURRENT FIRST DISTRICT WAS REPRESENTED BY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN DOUG LAMALFA FOR 13 YEARS UNTIL HIS DEATH IN JANUARY. JAMES GALLAGHER WON THE SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL THE REMAINDER OF HIS TERM, REPRESENTING THE CURRENT DISTRICT LINES AS SHOWN ON THIS MAP. NOW, GALLAGHER AND MIKE MCGUIRE WILL FACE EACH OTHER AGAIN IN NOVEMBER, BUT THIS TIME FOR THE NEWLY REDRAWN DISTRICT ONE SEAT THAT BEGINS IN 2027. THESE NEW DISTRICT LINES ARE CONSIDERED TO BE MORE FAVORABLE TO DEMOCRATS THAN THE OLD DISTRICT USED IN THAT SPECIAL ELECTION. WE SPOKE WITH BOTH CANDIDATES ON WHETHER THEY HAVE CONCERNS OR A CHANGE IN PRIORITIES. WE’VE GONE DOWN A REALLY BAD PATH. AND, YOU KNOW, MIKE MCGUIRE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF REPRESENTS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT. HE’S BEEN YOU KNOW, GAVIN NEWSOM’S SECOND IN COMMAND IN THE LEGISLATURE, PASSED ALL OF HIS POLICIES THAT HAVE RAISED OUR COSTS OF LIVING THROUGH THE ROOF, THAT HAVE MADE US LESS SAFE. AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST KIND OF TIRED OF THAT. THEY’RE TIRED OF THE CRONYISM, DRAWING YOUR DISTRICTS, THAT KIND OF STUFF. YOU KNOW, THE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE, THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. THERE REALLY IS MORE THAT UNITES US THAN DIVIDES US. DEMOCRATS OR REPUBLICANS. AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS IN THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS REJECTED JAMES GALLAGHER AND DONALD TRUMP. OVER HALF OF ALL VOTERS VOTED FOR A DEMOCRAT. AND IT’S BECAUSE FOLKS ARE TIRED OF THE CORRUPTION. THEY’RE TIRED OF THE CRUELTY AND THE CHAOS. U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT ONE IS ONE OF FIVE DISTRICTS TARGETED BY VOTER APPROVED PROPOSITION 50, WHICH PLACES NEW DEMOCRATIC DRAWN MAPS IN PLACE IN AN EFFORT
California congressional races shaped by redistricting and special elections
Voters in California’s 1st and 3rd congressional districts are navigating competitive races influenced by newly redrawn district lines and recent elections.
Updated: 6:54 PM PDT Jun 3, 2026
Voters in California’s 1st Congressional District are casting ballots multiple times this year due to a special election and newly redrawn district lines. The district was represented by Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa for 13 years until his death in January. James Gallagher won the special election to complete LaMalfa’s term under the current district lines. Following Tuesday’s primary election, Gallagher led with approximately 47% of the vote, while Democrat Mike McGuire followed with around 38%. The two candidates will face off again in November for the newly redrawn District 1 seat, which takes effect in 2027. The new district lines are considered more favorable to Democrats, prompting both candidates to address their concerns and priorities. “We’ve gone down a really bad path and, you know, Mike McGuire, you know, kind of represents, you know, all of that. He’s been, you know, Gavin Newsom’s second in command in the legislature, passed all of his policies that have raised our costs of living through the roof, that have, made us less safe and I think people are just kind of tired of that. They’re tired of the cronyism drawing in your own districts, that kind of stuff. You know, the waste, fraud and abuse, the lack of transparency,” Gallagher said. “There really is more that unites us than divides us. Democrats and Republicans and if you take a look at the numbers in the first Congressional District, the majority of voters rejected James Gallagher and Donald Trump. Over half of all voters voted for a Democrat and it’s because folks are tired of the corruption. They’re tired of the cruelty and the chaos,” McGuire said. In California’s newly redrawn 3rd Congressional District, Democrat Ami Bera and Republican Rob Tucker advanced from the primary election and will face off in November. Bera, currently represents California’s 6th Congressional District and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, his support concentrated in Sacramento County. Tucker, a Nevada County supervisor and businessman, so far winning all three rural counties: Nevada, El Dorado, and Placer. Both candidates discussed the issues they believe are most important to voters in the newly redrawn district. “The concerns and the issues that people are interested in really go across Partizan lines, they go across district lines and, you know, lines that are drawn by politicians. So I think that’s the thing. I think we just tried to really focus on the issues that, are of concern to someone like me who grew up in and was raising a family in the district, as well as people, the constituents and those are the ones that you hear all over, you know, cost of living, the cost of housing, regulation, up where we are, particularly in the rural areas, wildfire risk and insurance cancellations,” Tucker said. “I’m grateful 60% of the district is Sacramento County issues that I’ve worked on for a long time from, you know, perhaps transportation issues, affordability issues, the affordability of housing. You see a lot of construction in the east part of Sacramento County, but the new issues are super important as well. You know, how we manage our forests, the, fire insurance issues that come up as I’m talking to voters in Nevada County and Placer County and Eldorado County. Also issues of affordability, housing is, it’s different than it is in Sacramento County. But, you know, housing in South Lake Tahoe and Truckee, what does that look like where you have a seasonal workforce,” Bera said. The 3rd Congressional District is one of five districts targeted by voter-approved Proposition 50, which implemented new, Democrat-drawn maps aimed at increasing Democratic representation in Congress.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Voters in California’s 1st Congressional District are casting ballots multiple times this year due to a special election and newly redrawn district lines.
The district was represented by Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa for 13 years until his death in January. James Gallagher won the special election to complete LaMalfa’s term under the current district lines. Following Tuesday’s primary election, Gallagher led with approximately 47% of the vote, while Democrat Mike McGuire followed with around 38%. The two candidates will face off again in November for the newly redrawn District 1 seat, which takes effect in 2027.
The new district lines are considered more favorable to Democrats, prompting both candidates to address their concerns and priorities.
“We’ve gone down a really bad path and, you know, Mike McGuire, you know, kind of represents, you know, all of that. He’s been, you know, Gavin Newsom’s second in command in the legislature, passed all of his policies that have raised our costs of living through the roof, that have, made us less safe and I think people are just kind of tired of that. They’re tired of the cronyism drawing in your own districts, that kind of stuff. You know, the waste, fraud and abuse, the lack of transparency,” Gallagher said.
“There really is more that unites us than divides us. Democrats and Republicans and if you take a look at the numbers in the first Congressional District, the majority of voters rejected James Gallagher and Donald Trump. Over half of all voters voted for a Democrat and it’s because folks are tired of the corruption. They’re tired of the cruelty and the chaos,” McGuire said.
In California’s newly redrawn 3rd Congressional District, Democrat Ami Bera and Republican Rob Tucker advanced from the primary election and will face off in November.
Bera, currently represents California’s 6th Congressional District and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, his support concentrated in Sacramento County. Tucker, a Nevada County supervisor and businessman, so far winning all three rural counties: Nevada, El Dorado, and Placer.
Both candidates discussed the issues they believe are most important to voters in the newly redrawn district.
“The concerns and the issues that people are interested in really go across Partizan lines, they go across district lines and, you know, lines that are drawn by politicians. So I think that’s the thing. I think we just tried to really focus on the issues that, are of concern to someone like me who grew up in and was raising a family in the district, as well as people, the constituents and those are the ones that you hear all over, you know, cost of living, the cost of housing, regulation, up where we are, particularly in the rural areas, wildfire risk and insurance cancellations,” Tucker said.
“I’m grateful 60% of the district is Sacramento County issues that I’ve worked on for a long time from, you know, perhaps transportation issues, affordability issues, the affordability of housing. You see a lot of construction in the east part of Sacramento County, but the new issues are super important as well. You know, how we manage our forests, the, fire insurance issues that come up as I’m talking to voters in Nevada County and Placer County and Eldorado County. Also issues of affordability, housing is, it’s different than it is in Sacramento County. But, you know, housing in South Lake Tahoe and Truckee, what does that look like where you have a seasonal workforce,” Bera said.
The 3rd Congressional District is one of five districts targeted by voter-approved Proposition 50, which implemented new, Democrat-drawn maps aimed at increasing Democratic representation in Congress.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel