California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa has died unexpectedly at the age of 65.
National Republican Campaign Committee Chairman Richard Hudson remembered LaMalfa as “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. Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service,” Hudson said in a statement Tuesday.
House Republican Majority Whip Tom Emmer described LaMalfa as “a loving father and husband, and a staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America.”
LaMalfa’s death further tightens the Republican grip on the House, leaving Speaker Mike Johnson with just a three-vote margin after the formal resignation of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene on Monday.
The House currently stands at 218 Republicans to 213 Democrats, meaning Republicans can afford to lose no more than two votes on any party-line legislation if all members are present and voting.
It was also revealed Tuesday that Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Baird, 80, was hospitalized following a car accident.
Baird’s office said the congressman is expected to make a full recovery after his vehicle was struck. During an address to Republicans at the Kennedy Center, Donald Trump said Baird’s wife was also hospitalized but is expected to be OK.
Speaker Mike Johnson must now navigate the challenges of an even slimmer GOP majority and cannot afford more than two defections on party-line votes.
Democrats are expected to pick up one additional seat after a runoff election in Texas later this month to replace Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died last March, shrinking the Republican margin to just two votes.
Another special election is scheduled for April to replace former New Jersey Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherill, who was elected governor in November.
Trump paid tribute to LaMalfa during his remarks Tuesday, noting that the congressman voted with him “100 percent of the time.”
The president said he considered canceling the speech out of respect but ultimately decided to proceed. “I was thinking about not even doing the speech in [LaMalfa’s] honor, but then I decided that I have to do it in his honor. I’ll do it in his honor, because he would have wanted it that way,” Trump said.
LaMalfa served as chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and was a member of the House Agriculture Committee.
Before being elected to Congress in 2012, he served in the California Senate and state Assembly. He was also a fourth-generation rice farmer.
Following the passage of California’s Proposition 50 redistricting measure last November, LaMalfa’s seat was placed on Democrats’ list of top pickup targets for this year’s midterm elections.
Despite the new district lines, LaMalfa had planned to run for reelection.
Leave a Comment