LaMalfa\u2019s death puts the Republican majority in Congress in further jeopardy, with a margin of just two votes to secure passage of any bill along party lines after the resignation of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoug was a devoted husband, a dedicated father to four beautiful children, and a newfound grandfather,\u201d Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, who represents the Inland Empire, said in a statement. \u201cThroughout his political career, Doug was a longtime Reagan conservative who believed in limited government, low taxes and traditional values.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emergency personnel responded to a 911 call from LaMalfa\u2019s residence at 6:50 p.m. Monday, according to the Butte County Sheriff\u2019s Office. The congressman was taken to the Enloe Medical Center in Chico, where he died while undergoing emergency surgery, authorities said. <\/p>\n
An autopsy to determine the cause of death is planned, according to the sheriff\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
LaMalfa\u2019s district \u2014 which stretches from the northern outskirts of Sacramento, through Redding to the Oregon border and to Alturas in the state\u2019s northeast corner \u2014 is largely rural, and far more conservative than California as a whole. <\/p>\n
Residents have long said they felt underrepresented in the halls of power in Sacramento and Washington and have, for nearly a century, talked seriously about seceding to form their own state called Jefferson<\/a>. <\/p>\n Rep. Doug LaMalfa looks on as the House of Representatives meets to elect a new speaker after Kevin McCarthy\u2019s ouster in 2023.<\/p>\n (Anna Moneymaker \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n LaMalfa, a staunch supporter of President Trump, put much of his focus on boosting federal water supplies to farmers, and seeking to reduce environmental restrictions on logging and extraction of other natural resources.<\/p>\n One of LaMalfa\u2019s final acts in the U.S. House was to successfully push<\/a> for the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools Act, a long-standing financial aid program for schools surrounded by untaxed federal forest land, whose budgets could not depend upon property taxes, as most public schools do. Despite broad bipartisan support, Congress let it lapse in 2023.<\/p>\n In an interview with The Times as he was walking onto the House floor for the reauthorization vote in mid-December, LaMalfa said he was frustrated with Congress\u2019 inability to pass even a popular bill like that. <\/p>\n The Secure Rural Schools Act, he said, was a victim of a Congress in which \u201cit\u2019s still an eternal fight over anything fiscal.\u201d It is \u201cannoying,\u201d LaMalfa said, \u201chow hard it is to get basic things done around here.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement posted on X, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff said he considered LaMalfa \u201ca friend and partner\u201d and that the congressman was \u201cdeeply committed to his community and constituents, working to make life better for those he represented.\u201d<\/p>\n LaMalfa was facing a difficult reelection bid. After voters approved Proposition 50 in November \u2014 aimed at giving California Democrats more seats in Congress \u2014 LaMalfa was drawn into a new district that heavily favored his likely opponent, state Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat who represents the state\u2019s northwest coast.<\/p>\n In November, just after Proposition 50 passed, LaMalfa told The Times he was \u201cstanding in the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not going to kidnap my district here without a battle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n LaMalfa \u2014 who in 2021 questioned the secretary of Agriculture in a video call from his combine harvester<\/a> while cutting rice \u2014 told The Times that California has a major rural-urban divide.<\/p>\n \u201cThe urban areas don\u2019t pay much attention to us,\u201d he said. Rural denizens, LaMalfa added, had in him \u201ca voice that understands their plight and is willing to speak to it.\u201d <\/p>\n On Dec. 18, LaMalfa spoke on the House floor in favor of the Pet and Livestock Protection Act<\/a>, which would remove the gray wolf from protections by the Endangered Species Act. The apex predator has made an astonishing comeback<\/a> in Northern California after being hunted to near extinction. LaMalfa said his rural constituents \u2014 some of whose children have been forced to shelter in place with wolves outside their school<\/a> \u2014 had been mocked by conservationists.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it\u2019s real! There\u2019s wolves that are encroaching on elementary schools in Siskiyou County,\u201d LaMalfa said. <\/p>\n He then spoke about Proposition 50, bemoaning what will happen if his district is eventually represented by a Democrat from the \u201cecho chamber of California\u201d who doesn\u2019t understand the small towns there. <\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to have town halls up there? Are you going to go into Modoc County, Siskiyou County, Sierra Valley and tell them this is a Red Riding Hood story about the wolves devouring their livestock, eating up all their wildlife?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement called LaMalfa a \u201cdevoted public servant who deeply loved his country, his state, and the communities he represented.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we often approached issues from different perspectives, he fought every day for the people of California with conviction and care,\u201d Newsom said. <\/p>\n Under state law, Newsom must announce a special election for LaMalfa\u2019s district seat within 14 days. The election, which will use the existing district boundaries, must be held within 140 days, or 200 days if consolidated with another election.<\/p>\n Rob Pyers, research director for the California Target Book, a subscription-based election guide, said he anticipates Newsom will schedule the special election for the June 2 statewide primary and hold the runoff in early August.<\/p>\n If the winner of the special election wants to continue to represent the district under the new lines, that person would have to run simultaneously in the regular election this year, Pyers said. <\/p>\n Trump, addressing a gathering of GOP House members at the Kennedy Center on Tuesday, expressed \u201ctremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member\u201d and said his speech would be made in LaMalfa\u2019s honor.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was the leader of the Western caucus \u2014 a fierce champion on California water issues,\u201d Trump said. \u201cHe was great on water. \u2018Release the water!\u2019 he\u2019d scream out. And a true defender of American children.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, he voted with me 100% of the time,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n A native of Oroville, LaMalfa attended Butte College and earned an agribusiness degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He served in the California Assembly from 2002 to 2008 and the state Senate from 2010 to 2012. He was an early supporter of Proposition 209, which ended affirmative action in California. He also pushed for passage of the Protection of Marriage Act, Proposition 22, which banned same-sex marriage in California.<\/p>\n LaMalfa\u2019s death will have an immediate impact on Republican efforts in the closely divided Congress, which has until Jan. 30 to authorize federal funding or else face another government shutdown. The Trump administration also is pushing for congressional action to address the expiration of expanded healthcare tax credits that resulted in premiums, on average, doubling in price for enrollees.<\/p>\n Adding to the GOP\u2019s troubles, Rep. James Baird, a Republican from Indiana, was hospitalized on Tuesday after a car crash described by the White House as serious. <\/p>\n While Baird is said to be stable, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will not be able to rely on his attendance. And he has one additional caucus member, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has made a habit of voting against the president, bringing their margin for error effectively down to zero.<\/p>\n LaMalfa\u2019s office said he is survived by his wife, Jill; four children, one grandchild, two sisters and many cousins.<\/p>\n Brian Dahle, a former state senator from the tiny Lassen County town of Bieber, told The Times that LaMalfa was devoted to his children and drove hours to watch a son play high school basketball games.<\/p>\n![\"Rep.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767751750_473_.jpeg\")
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