Assemblyman James Gallagher speaks during a campaign event in support of small businesses during his successful bid for California's 1st Congressional District seat. Unofficial election results show Gallagher winning the special election to succeed the late Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Photo courtesy of the Gallagher for Congress campaign

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) – Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher appears headed to Congress after unofficial election results showed him winning the special election to fill the vacant 1st Congressional District seat left by the death of Congressman Doug LaMalfa.

With votes still being counted, Gallagher held well over the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff and claim the seat outright. The Associated Press projected Gallagher as the winner on election night.

Gallagher, a Sutter County resident who has represented the region in the California Assembly since 2014, received strong support throughout the district, including in Sutter, Butte and portions of Colusa County that fall within the 1st Congressional District.

The special election was called following the Jan. 6 death of LaMalfa, who represented the sprawling Northern California district in Congress since 2013.

Gallagher’s political career began working for LaMalfa through a fellowship program before entering private law practice in 2007. He is also a partner in his family’s fifth-generation rice and walnut farming operation. In 2008, Gallagher was elected to the Sutter County Board of Supervisors, a seat once held by his grandfather, where he served until his election to the State Assembly.

In a statement following the election, Gallagher said the results reflected the strong support voters had long shown LaMalfa and said he was humbled by the confidence voters placed in him to continue representing North State communities.

“The communities and people of the North State are united through our history, our jobs, our farms and industries, and most importantly, by our values and roots that run deep into the land,” Gallagher said. “Their confirmation and vote of confidence means everything to me.”

Democratic State Sen. Mike McGuire and Democrat Audrey Denney finished well behind Gallagher in the special election. Because Gallagher secured a majority of the vote, a planned August runoff will not be necessary.

Voters also cast ballots in the regular election for the congressional term that begins in January 2027. Gallagher and McGuire advanced to the November general election in that contest, which is expected to become a hard-fought race after Proposition 50 redrew district boundaries in ways viewed as more favorable to Democrats.

In Sutter County, Gallagher received 10,915 votes, or 66.8 percent, according to unofficial election results released Friday by the Sutter County Elections Office. McGuire received 2,967 votes, while Denney received 1,874 votes.

Unofficial Butte County results showed Gallagher receiving 30,507 votes, or 53 percent, compared with 14,515 votes for Denney and 11,976 votes for McGuire.

Unofficial Colusa County results showed Gallagher receiving 2,761 votes in the special election for the unexpired 1st Congressional District term. McGuire received 663 votes, while Denney received 510 votes in the portion of the county that falls within the 1st Congressional District.

Most of Colusa County is located within California’s 4th Congressional District, where voters also cast ballots in the race involving Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson. Colusa resident Thomas Roach, running with no party preference, also made a showing in the race.

Gallagher’s victory returns the congressional seat to Republican control and restores representation for the Northern California district following nearly five months of vacancy after LaMalfa’s death.