Your guide to California's 1st Congressional District race

Mathew Miranda, The Sacramento Bee on Oct 6, 2026

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Newly elected U.S. Rep. James Gallagher will try to fend off state Sen. Mike McGuire to retain Northern California’s 1st Congressional District seat.

Gallagher was sworn into the seat in June to finish the term of former U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who died earlier this year. His death triggered a special election that included Gallagher, McGuire and Democrat Audrey Denney.

Gallagher, a Republican from Sutter County, emerged as the winner with about 62% of the vote and will serve until at least January.

But the future of the 1st District will be decided between Gallagher and McGuire, D-Healdsburg, in November after both advanced from the June primary election. The race will take place under new boundaries approved through Proposition 50, which shifted the district west to include McGuire’s Democrat-leaning political stronghold of Santa Rosa and other parts of Sonoma County.

Even so, Gallagher narrowly edged McGuire — 42.1% to 41.8% — in the primary election under the newly drawn lines. Denney received 14.2% of the vote.

Where is the district?

The 1st Congressional District boundaries will change significantly following the implementation of Proposition 50, a voter-approved initiative to help Democratic candidates win in response to a Republican-backed effort in Texas.

The district previously stretched from the Oregon-California border down through Sutter County before stopping right before the Sacramento International Airport.

Under the new map, the district will shift down and westward to cover Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, Clearlake and Ukiah. The district will continue to cover Susanville, Red Bluff, Chico and Paradise but no longer includes Redding, Yuba City, Colusa and Live Oak.

Who are the candidates?

Gallagher, 45, is an agricultural attorney, former Republican minority leader in the Assembly and, most recently, a U.S. House member. He entered the 1st District special election and general election race just days after LaMalfa’s death in January with the backing of the late congressman’s widow. Gallagher, who was voted into the Assembly in 2014, served on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors and is a native of Yuba City. His campaign website states he is focused on lowering taxes and fees, enacting tougher laws to protect communities from crime, toughening border security and protecting farms from “excessive government regulation.” Gallagher, who earned a political science degree at UC Berkeley and law degree from UC Davis, resigned from the Assembly following his special election win.

McGuire, 47, comes from a family of farmers and has served in the California Senate since 2014. Originally from Healdsburg, he announced his campaign bid last November following the passage of Prop 50. While in the Senate, he has been the Democrat majority leader and president pro tempore. He served on the Healdsburg City Council and Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. McGuire’s campaign website frames himself as a politician who has pushed back against President Donald Trump’s policies, expanded health care coverage and spearheaded funding for schools. He graduated from with a degree in political science from Sonoma State University.

Who is funding the race?

McGuire currently has the fundraising advantage, though Gallagher has spent less time raising money for his House campaign.

McGuire raised about $1.83 million between November 2025 and the end of June, which is the latest filing deadline for the Federal Election Commission website. He reported $152,000 cash on hand.

Some of McGuire’s largest donations have come from the Service Employees International Union Committee on Political Education; ActBlue, a Democratic Party political action committee and online fundraising platform largely based on individual donations, and the Resource Conservation PAC.

Gallagher has reported $1.24 million in campaign donations during the first six months of the year. He has roughly $333,000 cash on hand. Among his biggest donors are Republican-aligned PACs, including some associated with GOP Reps. Jim Jordan, Brett Guthrie and Tom Emmer.

Neither McGuire nor Gallagher are able to use any corporate money raised in their state campaign accounts for the congressional race.

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