Republican Doug LaMalfa, a California rice farmer who served seven terms in the U.S. House and was a reliable vote on President Donald Trump\u2019s agenda, has died at age 65.<\/p>\n
His death trims the Republicans\u2019\u00a0narrow margin of control<\/a>\u00a0of the House to 218 seats to Democrats\u2019 213.<\/p>\n The congressman experienced a medical emergency Monday night and was taken to a local hospital, where he died during a surgical procedure, the Butte County sheriff\u2019s office said Tuesday. Officials haven\u2019t disclosed the cause of his death.<\/p>\n Trump expressed \u201ctremendous sorrow\u201d over LaMalfa\u2019s death as he addressed a meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday, lamenting the loss of a lawmaker he championed as an ally for\u00a0his agenda<\/a>. He said the late congressman \u201cwasn\u2019t a 3 o\u2019clock in the morning person\u201d like other lawmakers he would call in the wee hours to lobby for their votes.<\/p>\n \u201cHe voted with me 100% of the time,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWith Doug, I never had to call.\u201d<\/p>\n Longtime public servant<\/p>\n LaMalfa, a fourth-generation rice farmer, was elected to Congress in 2012 after serving in the state Legislature. He represented California\u2019s 1st District, which covered a vast portion of\u00a0the state\u2019s rural North<\/a>, spanning from the Oregon border down to just north of the capital, Sacramento.<\/p>\n He was a regular presence on the House floor, helping GOP leadership open the chamber and frequently offering his view on local and national affairs. He served on the House Agriculture Committee and as the chairman of a subcommittee with jurisdiction over forestry issues. He also served on committees dealing with transportation and natural resource issues.<\/p>\n LaMalfa had planned to run for reelection despite his district being dramatically redrawn under\u00a0a ballot measure<\/a>\u00a0passed by California voters in November.\u00a0The measure<\/a>, backed by Democrats, was designed to make it harder for LaMalfa and four other Republicans to win reelection.<\/p>\n California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, must call a special election to replace LaMalfa, his office said. The election could happen as late as June, when California will hold its primary for the 2026 midterm.<\/p>\n A focus on rural issues, wildfire prevention<\/p>\n LaMalfa\u2019s colleagues, staff members and friends said he cared deeply about his district, often driving far distances to check in with constituents and working on key local issues such as wildfire prevention and water storage.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would show up at the smallest events that were important in people\u2019s lives in this district,\u201d recalled David Reade, a former chief of staff of LaMalfa\u2019s from the state legislature. \u201cHe would drive literally hundreds and hundreds of miles to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n His current chief of staff, Mark Spannagel, who started working for him in 2002, said the congressman was a \u201cdeeply funny guy.\u201d He was obsessed with cars, often showing up at events with grease under his fingernails, and he loved classic rock and the \u201cAustin Powers\u201d movies, Spannagel said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s probably one of the most normal people in Congress, down to earth,\u201d he said in a phone interview. \u201cYou want to sit there and have an iced tea with him.\u201d<\/p>\n LaMalfa once traveled to multiple Veterans Affairs offices in Washington to advocate for a constituent, Spannagel said. He also would host town halls and political events in small towns in his district to meet more constituents.<\/p>\n \u201cJust because, \u2018Why not? We\u2019re gonna go do them. We\u2019re gonna be there. Let those people be heard, too,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not all about the biggest city or the biggest town.\u201d<\/p>\n One of his priorities in Congress was advocating for wildfire mitigation and protecting victims, said state Assembly member James Gallagher, who called LaMalfa his \u201cbig brother.\u201d<\/p>\n LaMalfa successfully passed legislation in 2024 to exempt wildfire relief payments from federal income taxes. It came after parts of his district were ravaged by\u00a0the deadliest wildfire<\/a>\u00a0in state history in 2018. President Joe Biden signed it into law. LaMalfa also called for increased water storage and for more forest management to reduce the threat of wildfires.<\/p>\n But LaMalfa\u2019s unwavering support of Trump has prompted frustration for some voters in recent years. Some were hoping to oust him during the midterm election because of his vote for Trump\u2019s plan to overhaul health care, food assistance and other rural resources. LaMalfa was met with yelling and booing at several town halls last year.<\/p>\n National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson called LaMalfa \u201ca principled conservative and a tireless advocate for the people of Northern California.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was never afraid to fight for rural communities, farmers, and working families,\u201d Hudson said. \u201cDoug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.\u201d<\/p>\n C-SPAN in a recent compilation said LaMalfa gave at least one set of remarks for the record on 81 days in 2025. Only two other lawmakers spoke on the House floor more frequently.<\/p>\n