U.S. House · California's 1st District
A rural district covering far northern California, including Doug LaMalfa's former Sutter County base and surrounding North State counties, following the 2025 Proposition 50 mid-decade redistricting.
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED
Mike McGuire, projected winner
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mike McGuire | 97,294 | 55.2% |
| James Gallagher | 78,852 | 44.8% |
About 61% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗
Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research
- The district's boundaries changed as a result of California Proposition 50, approved by voters on November 4, 2025, which redrew the state's congressional map.[1]
- Previous incumbent Doug LaMalfa did not run for the seat in the 2026 regular election. James Gallagher won a 2026 special election for the seat and assumed office on June 11, 2026, ahead of the regular general election for the next full term.[1]
- In the June 2, 2026 top-two primary, James Gallagher (R) placed first with 42.1% (92,975 votes) and Mike McGuire (D) placed second with 41.8% (92,121 votes) out of 220,595 total votes cast; both advanced to the general election.[1]
On the November 3 ballot · 2 candidates
Issue evidence — side by side
Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.
Protect legal access to abortion
- James Gallagher—
- Mike McGuireSupports[6]
Says he will defend abortion rights and fight to make reproductive freedom federal law.
Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
- James Gallagher—
- Mike McGuireOpposes[5]
Proposes federal limits on ICE: body-worn cameras, court liability for agents, a use-of-force policy and judicial warrants for searches of homes and businesses.
Raise taxes on high earners or corporations
- James Gallagher—
- Mike McGuireSupports[7]
Says he will repeal the 2025 tax cuts for the very wealthy and make billionaires and large corporations pay more.
Expand public health coverage
- James Gallagher—
- Mike McGuireSupports[4]
Says he will fight in Congress to pass Medicare for All.
Faster transition away from fossil fuels
- James Gallagher—
- Mike McGuireSupports[8]
Says he will push for aggressive climate action and investment in clean energy to lower emissions.
Raise the minimum wage
- James Gallagher—
- Mike McGuireSupports[10]
Calls for increasing the minimum wage.
Broad tariffs on imported goods
- James Gallagher—
- Mike McGuireOpposes[10]
Calls for repealing the President's tariffs.
Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad
- James Gallagher—
- Mike McGuireSupports[9]
Says Congress must authorize war and that he will work to reassert congressional authority over the war in Iran.
Research notes & limits
Mike McGuire has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and no current campaign website content was found for this House race, so his stated priorities and issue positions could not be documented; his California State Senate record is summarized instead. James Gallagher's official House issues pages (gallagher.house.gov/issues) were checked, along with his press releases and Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey; the issues pages describe general topic areas (agriculture, jobs, transportation, veterans, national security) without statements that directly address any of the 15 tracked issue statements, so no positions were added for him. Biography gaps: Gallagher's official House 'About' page contains no biography, so his background draws on Ballotpedia, his survey response and Roll Call; McGuire has no current campaign biography or survey, so his background draws on Ballotpedia and does not cover his pre-2010 employers in detail.
Sources · 16
Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.California's 1st Congressional District · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 2.James Gallagher (California) · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
- 3.Mike McGuire · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 4.Protecting Our Healthcare · Mike McGuire for Congress · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 5.Holding ICE Accountable · Mike McGuire for Congress · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 6.Protecting Reproductive Freedom · Mike McGuire for Congress · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 7.Making Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share · Mike McGuire for Congress · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 8.Fighting for Climate Action · Mike McGuire for Congress · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 9.An End to Illegal Wars · Mike McGuire for Congress · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 10.Lowering Costs for Working Families · Mike McGuire for Congress · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 11.James Gallagher (California) · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
- 12.James Gallagher sworn in to finish LaMalfa's term in the House · Roll Call · 2026-06-10 News report
- 13.U.S. House · California's 1st District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 14.Mike McGuire · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 15.State Senate leader McGuire launches bid for Congress, challenging LaMalfa · Local News Matters · 2025-11-17 News report
- 16.California 1st election results 2026 · NBC News News report