Review note: James Gallagher for Congress may have more bias because it is an advocacy voter guide compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources.
- sos.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)CA Secretary of State — Statement of Vote, June 2, 2026 primary (certified 2026-07-10)
- ballotpedia.org (opens in a new tab)Ballotpedia — June 2026 California primary
- electjamesgallagher.com (opens in a new tab)James Gallagher for Congress — campaign site (biography, why running, priorities)
- gallagher.house.gov (opens in a new tab)Rep. James Gallagher, official site — Committees and Caucuses
- gallagher.house.gov (opens in a new tab)Rep. James Gallagher, official site — Press Releases (September 2026 harbor-craft emissions CRA vote)
- sd02.senate.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California State Senate, District 2 — Senator Mike McGuire, official biography
- sd02.senate.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California State Senate, District 2 — Senator Mike McGuire, Press Releases (SB 1263; Highway 37/Last Chance Grade funding)
- unitedstates.github.io (opens in a new tab)congress-legislators — current members of Congress (unitedstates project)
- api.congress.gov (opens in a new tab)Congress.gov — member sponsored legislation (Library of Congress)
- downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (opens in a new tab)California Legislative Information — public bill data (bulk download)
- fec.gov (opens in a new tab)FEC — 2026 House & Senate current-campaign financial summaries (bulk data)
Last updated September 24, 2026.
Federal
United States Representative, District 1
This person holds your district's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (2-year term).
This is the closest congressional contest on this ballot. Republican James Gallagher took 42.1% of the June 2 vote. Democrat Mike McGuire took 41.8%, a gap of 0.3 points. Gallagher already holds the seat. He won a special election in June to complete Doug LaMalfa's term. But he won it in the old district. The lines were redrawn under Prop 50. The new district is roughly 41% Democratic to 31% Republican. The district covers the far north of the state.
The winner holds one of 435 seats in the U.S. House for a two-year term. A member introduces bills, sits on committees that shape federal legislation, votes on the federal budget and on war powers, and handles casework between constituents and federal agencies. Unlike a state legislator, they have no role in California's budget — the trade is national reach for local control.
This is a rematch on changed ground. Gallagher won the special election in the district as it was; the November contest is in the district as Prop 50 redrew it, with a registration balance that runs the other way. Both candidates come from legislative leadership rather than the back benches, so this is a contest between two people who have run chambers. Weigh their state records against the fact that neither has a substantial federal one.
James Gallagher
James Gallagher is a lawyer and a partner in his family's rice and walnut farm in Sutter County. He served six years on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors. Then he served twelve years in the California Assembly. Republicans chose him as their leader there in 2022, a post he held until 2025. In June 2026, after the death of Congressman Doug LaMalfa, he won a special election to finish LaMalfa's term.
Gallagher says he decided to run after "much prayer and reflection" with his family, to complete Doug LaMalfa's term in Congress. In September 2026 the House passed his resolution overturning a federal rule. The rule had let California set its own emissions standards for harbor boats. The vote was 214 to 208.
He promises to cut taxes, fees and regulations to lower costs for families. His site lists stronger public safety and more energy production. He also promises border security, protecting parental and property rights, and shielding farms and small businesses from regulatory rules.
Mike McGuire
Mike McGuire is a State Senator from Sonoma County, where his family has farmed grapes and prunes for three generations. He started in local government on his school board at nineteen. He then served on the Healdsburg City Council and as its mayor. Later he served on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. He was elected to the state Senate in 2014 and later became its President pro Tempore. In Sacramento he has authored bills on wildfire recovery, transportation and water infrastructure for the North Coast.
As a state senator, he wrote a bill to protect wildfire survivors from contractor fraud during rebuilding. It passed a Senate committee on a 16 to 0 vote in June 2026. He has also worked for a decade on funding for two key North Coast routes. They are Highway 37 and the Last Chance Grade project on Highway 101.
His Senate priorities have centered on wildfire recovery, water infrastructure and transportation funding for the North Coast. He had not published a specific platform for his congressional campaign as of this review.
Record in office
James Gallagher (Republican) has served in the U.S. House since 2026 and has sponsored 7 bills in the 119th Congress; none of their bills have become law so far. Mike McGuire (Democratic) is a sitting State Senator and is lead author of 14 bills in the 2025–2026 session, 3 of them signed into law. Per the California Legislature's public bill data (leginfo bulk download) and Congress.gov and the public-domain congress-legislators roster, retrieved 2026-09-21.
Financial info
- Individuals
- PACs & committees
- Party
James Gallagher
$1,488,906 raised
- Individuals$959,75477%
- PACs & committees$275,86322%
- Party$7,0001%
Mike McGuire
$1,827,711 raised
- Individuals$1,527,50584%
- PACs & committees$300,07016%
1Total raised is all receipts for the 2026 cycle; the breakdown lists direct contributions, so the pieces can sum below the total. Figures are FEC filings through June 30, 2026, per the FEC bulk campaign-finance summaries, retrieved 2026-09-21.