California Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s death leaves a vacant House seat. What happens next?
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s unexpected death on Monday has created a vacancy in the House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has some control over when the seat will be filled.
Here’s what to know:
What does this do to the House majority?
LaMalfa’s death shrinks Republicans’ narrow majority in the House to 218 seats over Democrats’ 213. That could be reduced even further as Democrats are expected to win another seat in a special election in Texas later this month.
That means the party has less room for dissent among its members as Speaker Mike Johnson tries to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda ahead of the midterm elections, when the party in power historically loses.
When will LaMalfa’s seat be filled?
Under California law, Newsom has 14 days to set a date for a special election to fill the remainder of LaMalfa’s term. But he can leave the seat vacant for a few months.
He could set the special election as early as May or opt for June, when California will hold its primary for the 2026 midterm. The top two candidates then face off in a runoff election if no one gets at least 50% of the vote.
That means LaMalfa’s constituents will have to choose two representatives this year: One to finish LaMalfa’s term and one to serve starting in 2027.
Do the new California district lines matter?
California voters in November approved new U.S. House districts outside of the typical once-a-decade redistricting process. Democrats pushed for the new map in an effort to oust LaMalfa and four other Republicans.
LaMalfa’s current district covered a vast portion of the state’s rural North, spanning from the Oregon border down to just north of the capital of Sacramento. The new lines now group several conservative strongholds in rural north with progressive areas that run along the Pacific coastline, including Marin County, which sits across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.
The special election would be held under existing House boundaries, said Paul Mitchell, a state elections expert who helped draw the new maps. But the 2026 midterm elections will use the new district lines designed to favor Democrats that California voters approved last November.
Who is running?
LaMalfa had planned to run for re-election. So far, no major Republicans have announced plans to seek his seat. Democrat Audrey Denney, who previously lost to LaMalfa, and state Sen. Mike McGuire both previously announced plans to challenge LaMalfa in the midterm elections. It’s not immediately clear if either will run in the special election.