California Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher will serve the remainder of late congressman Doug LaMalfa’s House term after cruising to victory in a special election Tuesday.
With a little more than half the expected vote tallied in the far northern California district, Gallagher had 62.2% support, well above the 50% needed to avoid an August runoff. Democratic State Sen. Mike McGuire led fellow Democrat Audrey Denney by just 37 votes in the race for second place, with both on 17.9% of the vote.
LaMalfa (R-Calif.), who had represented the safe Republican district since 2013, died on Jan. 6 of this year after suffering a heart attack following an aortic dissection. He was 65.
“It’s a mix of emotions,” Gallagher told KRCR-TV after the race was called by the Associated Press. “Missing Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who is a mentor to me, but also just feeling overwhelmed by the amount of support that we’ve had tonight.
Gallagher, 45, has represented the rural region north of Sacramento in the State Assembly since December 2014.