Republican Wins California Special Election to Fill Vacant House Seat

Republican state legislator James Gallagher won California's 1st District special election Tuesday, NBC News projects. He secured a majority of votes outright, avoiding a runoff. Gallagher will fill the seat left vacant by the death of Republican Rep.

Doug LaMalfa, who died this year at age 65. After he is sworn in, Republicans will hold 218 seats to Democrats' 212, with four vacancies and one independent who caucuses with Republicans.

The special election was held under the district lines used in the 2024 election. Under those boundaries, LaMalfa won by 30 percentage points and Donald Trump carried the district by 25 points. Democrats later redrew the lines as part of a plan to gain up to five additional seats in California.

The new map added the city of Santa Rosa and parts of Sonoma County, turning the district into one Kamala Harris won by more than 12 points in 2024.

Gallagher advanced from Tuesday's regularly scheduled primary alongside former state Senate Democratic leader Mike McGuire. Gallagher received 47 percent of the vote, McGuire had 38 percent, and Democrat Audrey Denney had 13 percent. LaMalfa had represented the district since 2013. The largely rural area includes Chico and Redding.

“Republican state legislator James Gallagher at the California State Capitol in Sacramento last year.”