Rep. Doug LaMalfa, conservative Northern California congressman, dies at 65
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- Rep. Doug LaMalfa, 65, represented Northern California since 2013 and has died.
- He championed rural interests, scored high with conservatives and sought bipartisanship.
- His death reduces the GOP majority to 218 seats, creating fresh House challenges
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, one of California’s leading conservative voices in Washington, has died.
LaMalfa, 65, had been a congressman since 2013, representing California’s 1st District. He was known as a strong, personable voice for rural and small community interests. News of his death was announced by House Republicans on social media.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office confirmed LaMalfa died Tuesday morning at Enloe Medical Center in Chico after the congressman underwent emergency surgery. Officials are conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
President Donald Trump, speaking to House Republicans Tuesday, lauded LaMalfa.
“He voted with me at 100% of time,” Trump said at a GOP congressional retreat at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Center in Washington. “He was with us right from the beginning.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered flags at the state Capitol and Capitol Annex to fly at half-staff to mark LaMalfa’s passing.
“Congressman Doug LaMalfa was a devoted public servant who deeply loved his country, his state, and the communities he represented. While we often approached issues from different perspectives, he fought every day for the people of California with conviction and care,” Newsom said in a statement. “Jennifer and I are holding Doug’s family, loved ones, and colleagues in our thoughts as California mourns his passing.”
LaMalfa rated highly, and often perfectly, by virtually every conservative measure. National Right to Life rated him at 100%. Americans for Prosperity lauded his budget-cutting votes, rating him at 87% last year. He had a lifetime 76% score from the conservative Heritage Foundation.
He did show a bipartisan streak when his sprawling district was involved. A few weeks ago, he joined other Republicans and Democrats in urging the Interior Department to stop cutting jobs in national parks.
An Oroville native, LaMalfa was a fourth-generation rice farmer and business owner who lived in his northern California district his entire life, earning a college degree in agribusiness from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
He was a state assemblyman from 2002 to 2008 and state senator from 2010 to 2012. In 2012, he easily won the seat of retiring Rep. Wally Herger, and won every succeeding congressional election by wide margins.
Changes in the House
LaMalfa was a familiar presence in the halls outside the House chamber, routinely talking with reporters and whoever else came by.
His death stunned colleagues.
“I’m heartbroken to learn of the passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Doug served Northern California with steady grit, a great sense of humor, and a genuine love for the people he represented,” said California GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin.
“He was widely respected and deeply beloved by those who knew and worked with him. May God comfort his wife Jill, their children Kyle, Allison, Sophia, and Natalie, and give strength to his staff, friends, and all who loved him during this incredibly difficult time.”
Assemblymember James Gallagher, R-East Nicolaus, called LaMalfa a mentor and said he was “in shock.”
“I’m lost and can’t imagine life, public service or politics without Doug,” he said. “There was no one who took the job of ‘representative’ more seriously than Doug. He traversed the district, going to every dinner and community event. He demanded answers from bureaucrats. He pushed hard for the things his people needed. He waited til the very end of every State of the Union so he could talk to the President, Republican or Democrat, about his district.”
LaMalfa’s death creates a new complication for House Republicans, who already had a razor-thin majority. They’ll now have 218 seats, barely more than the 217 it takes for a majority.
Voters passed Proposition 50 in November, which redrew California’s congressional lines and roped more liberal Bay Area voters in with LaMalfa’s rural district to shore up Democratic House seats. With his passing, voters will now elect a replacement under the old district lines, according to redistricting expert Paul Mitchell.
Newsom is required to call a special election within the next 14 days, to be held within the next 140 days. That replacement will likely be a Republican, as LaMalfa easily won reelection in 2024 with 65% of the vote.
Remembrances pour in
As news of LaMalfa’s death reached the Capitol and the White House, lawmakers remembered their colleagues affectionately.
Trump spoke at length about LaMalfa, calling him a “great member, great, great, great member.”
“He wasn’t a 3 o’clock-in-the-morning person. Do you know what I mean by that? Where the speaker goes, ‘Sir, could you call up, could you call.’ I said, ‘What time is it?’” Trump said.
But he didn’t have to make that sort of call to LaMalfa, he said, because he was always a supporter.
LaMalfa, Trump said, was “a fierce champion on California water issues. He was great on water. “ The congressman was also a “a true defender of American children. He was a defender of everybody. And our hearts go out to his wife, Jill, and his entire family.”
Tributes poured in from across the aisle as well.
“Doug LaMalfa was a force for Northern California — in his work ethic, in his deep commitment to the region, and in his steadfast belief in public service,” said Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento. She recalled his help on forestry and water issues.
“Rep. LaMalfa treasured his community, worked powerfully to protect California’s farmers and served those he represented with principled purpose, from the state legislature to the United States House of Representatives,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 7:26 AM with the headline "Rep. Doug LaMalfa, conservative Northern California congressman, dies at 65."
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