Your guide to the state’s 1st Assembly District primary race
Voters in one of California’s largest Assembly districts will choose in June’s primary which two of three candidates — two Republicans and one Democrat — will move on to the general election.
The 1st District covers the sprawling northeastern corner of California. The district represents Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou counties.
Northeastern California has long been represented by Republicans. In the 2024 presidential election, 57% of the rural district voted for Donald Trump. Just over 506,000 people live in the district, according to state data.
Two challengers are attempting to unseat the incumbent, Heather Hadwick, who is serving her first term as an Assembly member. Anderson Councilmember Darin Hale, a Republican, and former foreign affairs officer Dianna James, a Democrat, are also running to represent the northeastern district. The two candidates that receive the most votes in June’s primary will face off in November.
Who is running to represent the 1st District?
James is a former foreign affairs officer with the U.S. State Department who worked with a number of international development organizations in the Middle East and Asia between 2010 and 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile. James said on her campaign website that her work included strengthening democratic processes and protecting human rights in various countries.
Her priorities include working to lower residents’ utility rates, supporting workforce development in the region and “tackling the rising cost of living that squeezes north state families,” she wrote on her campaign website.
“We face critical challenges: rising costs, a lack of rural jobs that pay a living wage, policies that impede our small businesses, and the urgent need to protect our land and water,” James’ website reads.
James is running as a Democrat.
Hadwick, the incumbent, was elected as the 1st District’s Assembly member in 2024. Hadwick won that race with nearly 60% of the votes.
Hadwick is the owner of her family farm and previously worked at the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office as a public information officer and as the deputy director of the Office of Emergency Services.
Hadwick listed her priorities as suspending the state’s gas tax and increasing state spending on wildfire mitigation and fire education prevention programs. On her campaign website, Hadwick criticized her fellow lawmakers in Sacramento for passing laws and spending more taxpayer dollars on efforts to address homelessness “with zero results.”
Several of Hadwick’s bills have become law, including legislation that expanded eligibility for rural counties to receive funding to manage hazardous waste and a bill that helps firearm dealers meet state safety regulations.
Hadwick is running as a Republican.
Hale has served as a council member of Anderson since 2024 and previously worked in the construction industry. According to his campaign website, Hale has served on several boards in Anderson, including the City of Anderson’s Planning Commission and the Anderson Union High School District Board of Trustees.
Hale listed his priorities as pushing back against social-emotional and behavioral health programs in public schools, including the state’s Community Schools Partnership Program. The candidate also said he would collaborate with state and federal lawmakers “to address and fund our deteriorating roads, dying parks, failing water / wastewater lines, and outdated treatment plants.”
Hale’s tenure on the Anderson city council prompted the governing body to pass a social media use policy for public officials in March after Hale accused a local flight school of espionage — without proof — over its teaching of Chinese students, according to the news organization Shasta Scout.
Hale is running as a Republican.
Who is funding the race and endorsing the candidates?
Hadwick leads the pack in campaign finance contributions with over $291,000 raised last year and $120,000 on hand as of late March, according to the secretary of state. The largest contributions Hadwick received last year came from labor groups, tribes and companies including Southern California Edison and Chevron.
Hadwick has the support of several Republican colleagues in the Legislature, including Assembly Republican Leader Heath Flora and state Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones. She is also endorsed by public safety unions including the California Association of Highway Patrolmen and California Professional Firefighters.
James received $1,300 from the California Democratic Party, according to campaign finance filings.
As of late March, Hale has not reported any campaign funding to the Secretary of State.
