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BIOGUIDE G000607 · FEC H6CA01285

James Gallagher

U.S. Representative (since June 11, 2026); previously California State Assembly Minority Leader (2022-2025)RINCUMBENT

Race
U.S. House · California's 1st District
Result
Mike McGuire, projected winner
Opponent
Mike McGuire (D)
Research
Basic

Party linenone

No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.

Said vs. did0 statements · 0 votes

James Gallagher is the Republican U.S. Representative for California's 1st Congressional District and lost re-election on November 3, 2026 to Mike McGuire. His term ends January 3, 2027. An attorney and farmer from Sutter County, he served on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors and then in the California State Assembly from 2014 to 2026, including as Assembly Minority Leader from 2022 to 2025.[1][2][3]

On the ballotU.S. House · 1

2026-11-03

James Gallagher Rincumbent
Mike McGuire Dchallenger

Won a 2026 special election for this seat and placed first in the June 2, 2026 top-two primary for the full term

Biography

James Gallagher is the Republican U.S. Representative for California's 1st Congressional District and lost re-election on November 3, 2026 to Mike McGuire. His term ends January 3, 2027. An attorney and farmer from Sutter County, he served on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors and then in the California State Assembly from 2014 to 2026, including as Assembly Minority Leader from 2022 to 2025.[1][2][3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Gallagher was born in Yuba City in 1981 and attended local schools, according to his Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey response. He describes himself as a descendant of Irish immigrants who settled in northern California in the early 1800s.[1] He earned a high school diploma from East Nicolaus High School, a B.A. from UC Berkeley, and a law degree from UC Davis, and he also completed an Assembly Fellowship in Sacramento.[1][2] He worked as an attorney in a practice centered on business and agriculture and is a partner in his family's rice farm.[1][2]

Gallagher served on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors for six years before joining the Assembly.[1][2] He represented California's Third Assembly District from 2014 to 2026; Roll Call describes the district as an inland district centered on Chico. His committee service included the Judiciary Committee, on which he was Vice Chair.[1][2] He was Assembly Minority Leader from 2022 to 2025, leading Republican legislators in opposing the 2025 redistricting effort, and Roll Call reports he stepped down as caucus leader in September 2025.[1][2]

Roll Call reports that the Public Policy Institute of California credited Gallagher with paying particular attention to small businesses and farms and with dozens of enacted bills, including a measure to facilitate housing relief for victims of the 2018 Camp Fire.[2] He won the June 2, 2026 special primary for California's 1st District with more than 60 percent of the vote, avoiding an August runoff, and was sworn in on June 10, 2026 to complete the term of the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa. He also advanced from the regular June 2 primary for the full term.[1][2] According to his Ballotpedia survey response, Gallagher is married and lives in Sutter County with his family, and he is passionate about wildfire mitigation, water storage, supporting farms and small businesses, and neighborhood safety.[1] He won the June 2, 2026 special election outright to fill the House seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa and also ran for a full term.[1][2] His stated campaign messages were lower taxes, lower fees and fewer regulations, tougher laws against crime, and protecting farms and businesses from regulation.[1][2] He received 44.8% of the vote to Mike McGuire's 55.2%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[3]

On the record

Official actions: bills, executive acts, filings and court records.

  • actionServed as California Assembly Minority Leader from 2022 to 2025.[4]
  • actionServed on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors for six years before joining the Assembly.[4]
  • actionWon a 2026 special election for California's 1st Congressional District and assumed office June 11, 2026.[5]

In their own words

Priorities

  • Lists three key campaign messages: making life more affordable for North State families through lower taxes, fees and regulations; enacting tougher laws to protect communities from crime; and protecting farms and businesses from excessive government regulation.[4]
  • Says he is personally passionate about wildfire mitigation, water storage, and supporting farms and small businesses.[4]
Campaign money$1.5M raised · 77% from individuals · FEC through 2026-06-30

Totals this cycle

Raised$1.5M
Spent$1.2M
Cash on hand$333K

Bars share one scale (raised = full). Cash on hand can include money carried over from earlier cycles.

Who gave

  • Individuals $960K
  • PACs & committees $276K
  • Party $7,000

Largest committee contributions

  1. Mr. Southern Missourian in the House PAC PAC$10K
  2. Eureka Political Action Committee PAC$10K
  3. American Revival PAC PAC$10K
  4. Buckeye Liberty Political Action Committee PAC$10K
  5. Electing Majority Making Effective Republicans PAC PAC$10K
  6. Farmers' Rice Cooperative Fund PAC$8,000
  7. American Pistachio Growers Pistachio Political Action Committee PAC$7,500
  8. Build Political Action Committee of the National Association of Home Builders (Buildpac) PAC$7,500
  9. California Water Service Group Political Action Committee PAC$7,000
  10. Doug Lamalfa Committee Candidate committee$6,000

Direct contributions only; outside spending is not included. Individual donors are itemized in the FEC’s receipts. All itemized receipts ↗ FEC filing ↗

Profile: /people/james-gallagher

Where they stood out

Voted against most of their party on 4 of 58 party-divided votes on file.

  • Amendment (Grothman) to H.R. 8800 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

    A yes vote supported an H.R. 8800 amendment that requires the Secretary of Defense to report within 180 days on options for cutting Defense Department civilian employment by 200,000. (AI-written)

    What it does: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2027 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs, activities, and military construction as well as the national…

    Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 1–210, Republicans 174–43

    Jul 22, 2026Official record ↗

  • Amendment (Hunt) to H.R. 8800 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

    A yes vote supported an H.R. 8800 amendment that authorizes the Defense Secretary to acquire easements, including by condemnation, along the Santa Ynez Pipeline route, including California-owned land, to keep crude oil flowing to refineries supplying military installations. (AI-written)

    What it does: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2027 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs, activities, and military construction as well as the national…

    Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 4–209, Republicans 211–4

    Jul 21, 2026Official record ↗

  • Amendment (Boebert) to H.R. 8800 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

    A yes vote supported an H.R. 8800 amendment that strikes section 518, a pilot program using voice-based risk assessment technology to identify servicemembers for drug testing. (AI-written)

    What it does: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2027 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs, activities, and military construction as well as the national…

    Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 175–37, Republicans 90–123

    Jul 21, 2026Official record ↗

Full voting recordHow this is counted

Their votes on the most contested roll calls

The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank

See all their split votes

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Sources cited in this profile

  1. 1.James Gallagher (California) · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  2. 2.James Gallagher sworn in to finish LaMalfa's term in the House · Roll Call · 2026-06-10 News report
  3. 3.U.S. House · California's 1st District results 2026 · NBC News News report
  4. 4.James Gallagher (California) · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  5. 5.California's 1st Congressional District · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference