Who is running in California's 1st Congressional District?

Lia Russell, The Sacramento Bee on Feb 16, 2026

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California’s 1st Congressional District, which encompasses much of the North State and reaches up to the Oregon border, was recently redrawn following the passage of Proposition 50. The initiative, championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, redrew congressional seats to make them easier for Democratic candidates to win in response to a similar GOP-backed effort in Texas.

The death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, last month threw a wrench into Democrats’ plan to flip the leadership of the formerly ruby-red district, which has since been redrawn to include liberal North Bay counties.

Per state law, voters must elect a replacement to represent the old district boundaries, as the new districts will not go into effect until the 2026 midterm election. Newsom called a special election to elect a successor to serve out the remainder of LaMalfa’s term; the special general election will take place June 2, and if need be, a runoff election will take place August 4.

That means whoever wins the special election, likely a Republican, may serve only a few months in office, as LaMalfa’s term was set to expire on Jan. 3, 2027.

Here, in alphabetical order, is who is running in the Nov. 3 general election, according to the Federal Election Commission. Candidates have until March 6 to file to run. Two candidates, Audrey Denney and James Gallagher, have said they intend to also run for the June 2 special election.

Audrey Denney (D)

Denney, 41, the director of civic engagement at Chico State, previously challenged LaMalfa twice for his seat, in 2018 and 2020. The Chico resident has positioned herself as a progressive who refuses to take donations from corporations, and stresses her background in agriculture as a major bona fide to represent a district where 42% of the land is federally owned. In her campaign launch video, she said she would work to dismantle Republican policies that are “crushing working families” while “big corporations cash in on massive tax breaks.”

James Gallagher (R)

Assemblymember James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, is the recent past Republican minority leader for that legislative chamber and an agricultural attorney. Days after LaMalfa died, the Republican assemblymember announced his intention to run for his mentor’s seat with the blessing of LaMalfa’s widow, Jill. In campaign materials, Gallagher, 44, said he will lower tax and fees to make life more affordable, enact tough-on-crime laws to keep families safe, shore up border security and “protect our farms and businesses from excessive government regulation.”

Mike McGuire (D)

State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, served as Senate President pro Tem until late last year. Shortly after Prop. 50 passed, he announced his intention to run for the newly drawn 1st District, citing his family’s Northern California roots and desire to combat Trump and bring living costs down. “This district is big, it’s rural, and now more than ever, it needs a fighter,” the former Healdsburg mayor, 46, said in his campaign launch video.

James Salegui (D)

Salegui, 48, describes himself as a progressive Democrat focused on income inequality and improving constituents’ quality of life. During a Feather River Democratic Club fundraiser last summer, the Mount Shasta resident said he had left a 17-year career in banking to run his campaign. If elected, he said he would reintroduce a “modernized version of FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights.”

Angelita Valles (R)

Valles, 57, is a former Victorville city councilmember and human resources consultant who has since relocated to Lakehead. Her campaign website touts her conservative views on border security, parental rights and law and order. Valles said she is running to represent “Northern California values” and cited her understanding of the 1st District’s rural and agrarian communities: “From Shasta and Siskiyou to Lassen, Plumas, and the agricultural heartlands of the valley, each part of our district has distinct challenges, industries, and ways of life.”

Kyle Wilson (D)

Wilson, 33, is a Santa Rosa labor attorney who has positioned himself as an outsider akin to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who beat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year. He first filed to run as an independent and later switched to Democrat, he confirmed in an email to The Sacramento Bee. He told the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat and said on his website that he was running a populist campaign to represent “working people:” “(Wilson) is focused on results, not party politics, and will fight to build an economy that puts people before profit, guarantees fair wages and housing for all, and restores power to the hands of working people.”

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