Staff Reporter: Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who represented a Northern California district, has died at 65 years old.
He represented California’s 1st Congressional District since 2013, previously serving in the California state Assembly and Senate.
President Trump acknowledged LaMalfa’s death in a speech to the House Republican retreat at the Kennedy Center on Tuesday morning, calling him a “fierce champion on California water issues” and praising his loyalty. The president said he thought about not even delivering the speech out of respect for LaMalfa, but that the late congressman would have said to do the speech.
LaMalfa was a rice farmer and lifelong resident of Northern California. His largely rural district included Chico and Redding.
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, confirmed LaMalfa’s death in a statement.
“Doug was 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.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) called LaMalfa’s death “sudden” in a post on the social platform X.
“Doug was a loving father and husband, and staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America,” he said.
Speaker Mike Johnson called LaMalfa “as fierce a fighter for his state’s vast natural resources and beauty as we have ever known.”
Fellow California GOP Rep. Young Kim remembered LaMalfa as a “genuinely kind, decent man who treated everyone with warmth and respect. His leadership, friendship, and steady presence will be deeply missed.”
Democratic Rep. John Garamendi (Calif.) said he would “miss him as a friend and colleague.”
“Together for a decade, we represented the great Sacramento Valley, where I was proud to work with him on several bipartisan pieces of legislation in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to secure critical water infrastructure investments, advocate for California farmers, and safeguard the Sacramento River Watershed.”
LaMalfa’s death leaves the House with 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats, meaning the House can afford no more than two Republican defections on any party line vote, assuming all members are present and voting.
(*This report is produced by Bangla Press. Republishing our content, images, or broadcasts in any other media outlet without permission is strictly prohibited.)
BP/SM
