Election 2026: McGuire vs. LaMalfa in a Tight 1st District Battle

A New Chapter in California’s Political Landscape

Outgoing California Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) is entering his second week of campaigning for the U.S. House of Representatives in the newly realigned California 1st Congressional District. This race has quickly become a high-stakes contest, with both McGuire and his opponent, incumbent Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Chico), using strong language to describe their rivalry.

McGuire emphasized the importance of this fight during a news release announcing his campaign. “Together, we’ve been fighting tooth and nail for Northern California,” he said. “Now, we’re going to bring that fight to Washington — to bring down costs for working families, protect health care for every American and defend our democracy from Donald Trump. I’m all in for Northern California, every damn day.”

LaMalfa, who has represented the 1st District since 2012, has held a safely Republican-majority district in California for over a decade. He criticized the passage of Proposition 50, claiming it distorted the status quo. In a Facebook video published on November 13, LaMalfa stated, “We have a termed-out state legislator who needs a job, who has come over to our First Congressional District. And using his crony buddies back in Washington, D.C., he’s said, ‘Hey, I need a seat.’ So his price was to have those maps drawn for him in order to support the plan, and so now, our district has been distorted into something completely different from what our normal communities of interest would be. We do have a battle royale on our hands here, but I’m ready to go.”

Proposition 50 restructured the CA-01 district by including parts of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County and Mendocino County, while redistributing low-population, majority conservative far northern counties like Modoc, Shasta, and Siskiyou to California’s 2nd Congressional District, represented by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael).

In response to LaMalfa’s remarks, McGuire appeared on CNN’s “The Story Is with Elex Michaelson.” “Doug LaMalfa, tonight, is clutching his pearls because voters overwhelmingly rejected Donald Trump and Doug LaMalfa’s agenda here in the great state of California,” McGuire said. “And candidly, what did he expect? When you vote to take food off the table of the most vulnerable in this state, when you vote to take health care away from the people that you work for, when you vote to raise health care prices for millions of Americans, when you vote for tariff taxes and make life more expensive for all of us, the people revolt.”

During his first week as a congressional candidate, McGuire has secured several key endorsements from politicians and labor organizations. These include SEIU California, the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, the California Conference of Carpenters, the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 183, Operating Engineers Local 3, and the National Union of Healthcare Workers.

McGuire’s campaign also noted that its announcement video had received over 200,000 views across digital platforms. The campaign reported raising more than $150,000 in its first day alone, significantly outpacing Rep. LaMalfa’s total raise of just $105k in the third quarter of the year.

Other Candidates in Prop. 50-affected Races

McGuire and LaMalfa are not the only candidates vying for the newly reorganized CA-01 seat. Labor attorney Kyle Wilson is running a “long-shot” campaign inspired by Zorhan Mamdani’s success in the New York City mayoral race. Chico educator and nonprofit leader Audrey Denney launched her campaign for the CA-01 in early October, prior to the passage of Prop. 50. She has previously attempted to unseat LaMalfa.

In other areas of Northern California, Humboldt County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent Colby Smart announced his candidacy for the 2nd Congressional District on November 9. Formerly a lifelong Democrat, Smart is running an independent campaign for the district, currently represented by Huffman.

Smart told the Times-Standard that he was not “running against” Huffman, but rather, his campaign was inspired by the passage of Prop. 50, which he opposed. He expressed concerns that partisan political efforts were undermining the basis of representative democracy in the country. “When maps change, representation should change with them to ensure equal representation,” Smart said in a news release. “No community should ever feel ignored or taken for granted. … I’m running because District 2 deserves representation that puts people before politics. Northern California needs leadership grounded in service, not party lines — leadership that stands up for every voice and works for the common good.”

In a release issued Wednesday, Smart called on California leaders to explain what would become of Prop. 50 redistricting after a federal court rejected Texas’ gerrymandered Congressional map. “When Prop 50 was promoted, it was described as a necessary response to actions taken in Texas and other states,” Smart said. “The Governor told voters that California needed to act because others were acting unfairly. But now the situation has changed. If the crisis used to justify Prop 50 has evaporated, the people of California deserve to know whether the Governor intends to honor his logic or continue down a path that weakens the voices of millions, especially in rural regions.”

U.S. Army vet and health care worker Kevin Eisele has also announced that he is running for the CA-02 seat.

Seeking Local Office

The state senate seat vacated by McGuire will be up for reelection next November. One of the early candidates, Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore, has already pulled out of the race after announcing his candidacy in January. Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael) and Santa Rosa City Councilmember and former mayor Natalie Rogers have both announced their candidacy; both are running as Democrats. A primary is to be held on June 2, 2026.

Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo announced her candidacy for a second term this month. The former Eureka City Councilmember outlined her priorities for a second term in a recent Times-Standard interview, saying she would focus on economic development in the region, addressing housing concerns, negotiating challenging circumstances regarding federal funding, and overcoming budgetary issues that the county has faced in recent years.

“We are still in tough straits, and we are working hard to provide the services that people expect and demand, and still save money where we can,” she said.

Mary Burke announced her candidacy for Humboldt County’s 5th District seat this spring after Supervisor Steve Madrone decided that he would not run in 2026. Madrone endorsed Burke, stating, “When you put your heart and soul into something for eight years, it’s hard to let it go, and you hope that it will continue to move forward in a positive way for the community, and that’s what Mary Burke represents.”

In Arcata, Dan Shahin announced his candidacy for city council on Sunday. And Daniel L. Smith announced his intentions to challenge incumbent Renée Contreras-DeLoach for Eureka City Council’s Fifth Ward this week in a Facebook post shared to the Humboldt County Conservatives group.