The death of Doug LaMalfa, a seven-term Republican congressmember from Northern California, was announced Tuesday, hours after he was rushed to a Chico hospital.
The sheriff’s office in Butte County said it received a 911 call reporting a medical emergency at LaMalfa’s home around 6:50 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5.
The congressman was taken to Enloe Hospital, in Chico, and immediately underwent emergency surgery. He died during the surgery, the sheriff’s office reported.
A cause of death will be determined by a coroner’s investigation, the office said.
Politico cited congressional colleagues who did not wish to be named as saying LaMalfa suffered an aneurysm and then a heart attack.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has a 14-day window in which to call a special election to fill the remainder of LaMalfa’s term. If the governor decides to schedule the vote for the June primary ballot, it would use the districting map approved by Prop. 50. The new District 1 was remapped to favor Democratic candidates.
Three other members of the Congress elected in 2024 have also died:
Sylvester Turner, 70, D-Texas, died March 4. He had been treated for cancer diagnosed in 2022 and had “enduring health problems,” his family said, but his death was unexpected. A runoff election in the contest to fill his seat is set for Jan. 31.
Raúl Grijalva, 77, D-Arizona, died March 13 after a diagnosis of lung cancer. He was succeeded by his daughter Adelita Grijalva, also a Democrat, who won an election Sept. 23 and was sworn in on Nov. 12.
Gerry Connolly, 75, D-Virginia, died May 21. He had announced in April that he would retire at the end of his term because of cancer that had been diagnosed in 2024. His former chief of staff, James Walkinshaw, won a special election in September to succeed him.
With LaMalfa’s death, the Republicans’ control of the House of Representatives is narrowed to 218 seats to the Democrats’ 213.
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