Republican James Gallagher faces Democrat Mike McGuire for California's 1st District seat
The gist
Republican Rep. James Gallagher and Democratic state Sen. Mike McGuire faced off in California's 1st Congressional District election.
The result decides whether Gallagher serves about six months or a full two-year term.
How it unfolded
- Jan 6, 2026Rep. Doug LaMalfa died during emergency surgery, leaving California's 1st Congressional District seat vacant.
- Jun 2026Gallagher won the June special election to finish LaMalfa's term with 62% of the vote under the old boundaries, and was sworn into Congress.
- Jun 2026In the primary for the full term, held the same day under the new lines, Gallagher edged McGuire 42.1% to 41.8%.