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U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Oroville, answers a question during a town hall meeting on Monday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Chico. A sizeable portion of the 1st Congressional District he represents would switch to a district currently held by Marin County Democrat Jared Huffman.
hamezcua@sacbee.com
WASHINGTON
Rep. Doug LaMalfa, one of California’s leading conservative voices in Washington, has died.
LaMalfa, 65, had been a congressman since 2013. He was known as a strong, personable voice for rural and small community interests.
“Doug LaMalfa’s firm beliefs are that government should do no harm, and that limited government means government should do only what people cannot do for themselves, in the most efficient manner possible,” his congressional website said.
President Donald Trump, speaking to House Republicans Tuesday, lauded LaMalfa.
“He voted with me at 100% of time,” Trump said, who added he had died on Monday. “He was with us right from the beginning.”
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 Ag/Business 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 Chairman 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.”
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.
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David Lightman
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