Republican representative dies, reducing GOP’s narrow control of the U.S. House

Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., a member of the House Agriculture Committee, arrives for a closed-door meeting with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and fellow Republicans, at the Capitol in Washington, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON — Republican Doug LaMalfa, a California rice farmer who served seven terms in the U.S. House and was a reliable vote on President Donald Trump’s agenda, has died at age 65.

His death trims the Republicans’ narrow margin of control of the House to 218 seats to Democrats’ 213.

The congressman experienced a medical emergency on Monday night and was taken to a local hospital, where he died during a surgical procedure, the Butte County sheriff’s office said on Tuesday. Officials haven’t disclosed the cause of his death.

Trump expressed “tremendous sorrow” over LaMalfa’s death as he addressed a meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday, lamenting the loss of a lawmaker he championed as an ally for his agenda. He said the late congressman “wasn’t a 3 o’clock in the morning person” like other lawmakers he would call in the wee hours to lobby for their votes.

“He voted with me 100% of the time,” Trump said. “With Doug, I never had to call.”

LaMalfa, a fourth-generation rice farmer, was elected to Congress in 2012 after serving in the state Legislature. He represented California’s 1st District, which covered a vast portion of the state’s rural North, spanning from the Oregon border down to just north of the capital of Sacramento.

He was a regular presence on the House floor, helping GOP leadership open the chamber and frequently offering his view on local and national affairs. He served on the House Agriculture Committee and as the chairman of a subcommittee with jurisdiction over forestry issues. He also served on committees dealing with transportation and natural resource issues.

LaMalfa had planned to run for reelection despite his district being dramatically redrawn under a ballot measure passed by California voters in November. The measure, backed by Democrats, was designed to make it harder for LaMalfa and four other Republicans to win reelection.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, must call a special election to replace LaMalfa, his office said. The election could happen as late as June, when California will hold its primary for the 2026 midterm.

LaMalfa’s colleagues, staff members and friends said he cared deeply about his district, often driving far distances to check in with constituents and working on key local issues such as wildfire prevention and water storage.

“One of my great memories of Doug is that, you know, he would show up at the smallest events that were important in people’s lives in this district,” recalled David Reade, a former chief of staff of LaMalfa’s from the state legislature. “Whether it was a birthday, it was, you, know, a family gathering, it was the smallest organization in his district, and he would drive literally hundreds and hundreds of miles to be there.”

His current chief of staff, Mark Spannagel, who started working for him in 2002, said the congressman was a “deeply funny guy.” He was obsessed with cars, often showing up at events with grease under his fingernails, and he loved classic rock and the “Austin Powers” movies, Spannagel said.

“He’s probably one of the most normal people in Congress, down to earth,” he said in a phone interview. “You want to sit there and have an iced tea with him.”

LaMalfa once travelled to multiple Veterans Affairs offices in Washington to advocate for a constituent, Spannagel said. He also would host town halls and political events in small towns in his district to meet more constituents.

“Just because, `Why not? We’re gonna go do them. We’re gonna be there. Let those people be heard, too,’” he said. “It’s not all about the biggest city or the biggest town.”

California Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, said that he was “shocked” by the news and that LaMalfa was “willing to work across the aisles to get things done.”

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson called LaMalfa “a principled conservative and a tireless advocate for the people of Northern California.”

“He was never afraid to fight for rural communities, farmers, and working families,” Hudson said. “Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.”

C-SPAN in a recent compilation said LaMalfa gave at least one set of remarks for the record on 81 days in 2025. Only two other lawmakers spoke on the House floor more frequently.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York called for a moment of silence in honor of LaMalfa at the start of a panel at the Capitol commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

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Catalini reported from Trenton, N.J.

Kevin Freking And Mike Catalini, The Associated Press