North state to bid farewell to Rep. Doug LaMalfa at memorial service in Chico
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- Memorial for Rep. Doug LaMalfa set Saturday in Chico; gates 10 a.m., service noon.
- LaMalfa died Jan. 6 during emergency surgery; sources report aneurysm, heart attack.
- Special election set Aug. 4 to fill term through Jan. 3, 2027; Gallagher runs.
A memorial service honoring the life of U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, takes place Saturday at the Silver Dollar Fair Grounds in Chico, where ticketed members of the public were invited to pay their respects to the late congressman who died unexpectedly earlier this month.
LaMalfa, a conservative stalwart who fought political battles for the interests of his north state constituents, served more than 20 years in state and federal politics representing a vast, red and rural district in a primarily blue state.
The fourth-generation rice farmer died in the early hours of Jan. 6 during an emergency surgery at a Chico hospital hours after suffering from a medical incident at his Richvale home. Sources familiar with the matter told Politico that LaMalfa suffered an aneurysm followed by a heart attack during surgery. He was 65.
Tickets required, no more available
Tickets are required to attend the memorial, and as of Thursday organizers have stopped accepting requests for tickets through a webpage dedicated to the service.
Parking for the memorial service opens at 9:30 a.m., and gates open to the public at 10 a.m. The service takes place at noon.
Instead of flowers the LaMalfa family has asked people to consider donating to the Oroville Rescue Mission.
LaMalfa began his political career with election to the state assembly in 2002, where he served until 2008. He won a single term in the state senate in 2010, which he left early to successfully run for election to Congress in 2012. He took the reins in the 1st congressional district from Rep. Wally Herger, a longtime conservative member of the U.S. House.
LaMalfa’s death came at a precarious time for the district he held for more than a decade, as redistricting approved by voters in a special election is set to morph the lines of the north state conservative stronghold to shift the voter pool in favor of Democrats.
His unexpected death has put current 1st District residents to a vote in a special election where they will choose a replacement to complete LaMalfa’s current term, which expires Jan. 3, 2027. Meanwhile, voters in the newly-drawn 1st District will vote in a June primary and November midterm elections to choose a new representative to begin a fresh two-year term in January.
A familiar face to replace LaMalfa?
California Republicans have thrown their support behind a Sutter County conservative to run for the remainder of LaMalfa’s unfinished term in Congress, which ends Jan. 3, 2027.
Assemblymember James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, announced his run for LaMalfa’s vacated seat, with support from LaMalfa’s widow and family.
“In the midst of our sadness and navigation of such a profound loss, I find myself very concerned about who may replace Doug as our representative in Washington, D.C.,” Jill LaMalfa said in a statement published by Gallagher’s campaign. “The tireless work and unimaginable hours spent away from family by Doug and his entire staff, cannot be left to end in vain.”
The special election to choose a stand-in for LaMalfa is scheduled for Aug. 4, after Gov. Gavin Newsom over the weekend chose the date, the latest allowed by state law based on the timing of LaMalfa’s death Jan. 6.
“The Governor could have called this Election for June 2nd with the Primary on March 31,” Gallagher wrote on X. “Instead he chose to play national political games and deny the people of the First District representation in Congress for at least two months longer than what was needed.”
LaMalfa’s successor may have only a few months in office by the time he or she is elected, with the winner of the reshaped district beginning a two-year Congress term in January.
