Washington — Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a California Republican who had been in Congress since 2013, has died. He was 65.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office said it received a 911 call from LaMalfa’s residence on Monday night regarding a medical emergency, and LaMalfa was transferred to Enloe Hospital, where he was taken into emergency surgery. LaMalfa died during the surgical procedure, the sheriff’s department said, and the coroner’s unit is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of death.
“Doug was a loving father and husband, and staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America,” Majority Whip Tom Emmer said in a post on X. “Our prayers are with Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children.”
Rep. Lisa McClain of Michigan, the chair of the House Republican Conference, said LaMalfa “cared deeply about his constituents and worked tirelessly to represent their voices, values, and livelihoods in Congress.”
In a speech to House Republicans in Washington on Tuesday, President Trump remembered LaMalfa as a “fantastic person” and “great, great member.” The president said LaMalfa died on Monday, and that he was “really saddened by his passing.”
“He was a defender of everybody, and our hearts go out to his wife Jill and his entire family,” Mr. Trump said. “He was our friend. All of us, every one of us.”
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The congressman represented California’s 1st Congressional District in the northeastern part of the state and served as chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus.
The California Republican was a fourth-generation rice farmer and business owner. He was known as a prominent voice on agriculture and rural issues in Congress, and previously served in the California State Assembly and state senate.
LaMalfa’s death narrows the already thin GOP majority in the House. With his death and the resignation of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the party breakdown in the House stands at 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats, with four vacancies.
LaMalfa’s district is one of five GOP-held districts that was redrawn under California’s Proposition 50, which is aimed at making them more favorable Democrats in the midterm elections.
Rep. Richard Hudson, a North Carolina Republican, said in a statement that LaMalfa 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.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, called LaMalfa “a great colleague and friend” who “represented California well for over a decade.”
“He will be missed,” Lawler said.
