On June 10th, US House Speaker Mike Johnson presided over the swearing-in ceremony for Republican James Gallagher, who won a special election with 62.1% of the vote in California’s 1st Congressional District on June 2nd, filling the seat left vacant by the late Congressman Doug LaMalfa.
Gallagher will serve out LaMalfa’s term until the end of this year, maintaining the Republican-Democrat split in the House of Representatives at 218-212. Jill LaMalfa, the wife of the late Congressman, also attended the swearing-in ceremony. Gallagher, who has been serving as the State Assemblyman for California’s 3rd District since 2014, said during the ceremony, “I come from the vast expanse of Northern California, where there are hardworking people, magnificent scenery, and valleys, the agricultural powerhouse of the North.”
The day before the swearing-in, Gallagher thanked the voters for their trust and reflected on his experience serving as the minority leader in the State Assembly. He said, “I’ve had special moments with each one of you — even with my most fierce competitors. It saddens me that my constituents have not had a real chance at self-governance. Decisions have been imposed on them that often go against their clear intentions or demands.”
Last August, Gallagher and seven other State Assembly members introduced AJR-23, a bill to split California into two states, with 23 coastal counties forming one state and 35 inland rural counties forming another. However, with Democrats holding 80% of the seats, AJR-23 struggled to advance to committee discussions and voting procedures. Nonetheless, on May 26th, the boards of supervisors in Yuba and Sutter counties supported the proposal.
Apart from the special election, Gallagher also participated in the primary for the 1st Congressional District. The special election was conducted based on the pre-redistricting map of California, where the old 1st District was a stronghold for traditional Republican voters. However, following the redistricting under Proposition 50 of California, Republican strongholds like Shasta and Sutter counties were moved out of the 1st District, while Mendocino and Sonoma counties, known as Democratic strongholds, were added in.
As of June 11th, Gallagher received 44.1% of the votes in the primary, while his Democratic opponent Mike McGuire got 54.8% of the votes. Under the new district lines, Republicans only have an advantage in the 5th, 20th, 23rd, and 40th districts. Currently, out of California’s 52 congressional seats, Republicans only hold 9.
Gallagher is determined to defend the 1st District. He stated, “In November, we will be campaigning in a new district; the division of this district did not come from an independent citizens’ commission but was manipulated behind the scenes by my opponent Mike McGuire and other Sacramento politicians.”