Who's In the Race
At an Oct. 6 forum in Ukiah, Democrat Mike McGuire and Republican James Gallagher faced off in California's 1st U.S. House District, the two nominees who will appear on the November ballot. Gallagher criticized McGuire's Sacramento record at the forum, while McGuire attacked Trump administration policies and defended his state legislative work.
McGuire has represented California in the State Senate since 2014, became majority leader in 2022, and served as Senate president pro tempore; before the Senate, he served on a local school board, city council, and county board of supervisors.
Gallagher is a practicing attorney focused on agricultural law and a partner in his family's farming business; he served in the California State Assembly from December 2014 to May 2026 and was Assembly minority leader for four years, and before that served six years on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors.
California uses a top-two primary system in which the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. In the June 2 top-two primary, Gallagher led with about 42 percent of the vote and McGuire finished second with about 42 percent, with Democrat Audrey Denney third at about 14 percent.
What They Stand For
According to his campaign website, McGuire has supported Medicare for All and keeping rural hospitals open, saying "healthcare can't just be for the wealthy few." He has also proposed raising wages, taking on corporate price gouging, and lowering the cost of living for working families, and has called for defending reproductive freedom, protecting access to contraception and IVF, and making those rights law nationwide. His site also lists investing in affordable housing, renter protections, and support for first-time homebuyers, as well as pushing for climate action, investing in wildfire prevention, and protecting communities.
According to his campaign website, Gallagher has supported lower taxes, lower fees, and fewer regulations to make life more affordable for North State families. He has called for tougher laws to protect communities, neighborhoods, and homes from crime, and has supported expanding energy production to bring prices down. He has also proposed defending individual and property rights and supporting families' and parents' rights, and has called for stronger border security and protecting farms and businesses from what he describes as excessive government regulation.
The Money Behind the Race
Federal Election Commission filings show McGuire raised about $1.8 million through June 30 and had about $153,000 in cash on hand. Gallagher raised about $1.5 million through June 30 and had about $333,000 in the bank.
Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets
The Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Democratic as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections rated it Solid Democratic as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is McGuire, a 93.19 percent chance of winning as of Oct. 12.
The district has leaned heavily Republican in recent cycles: Doug LaMalfa won it with about 62 percent in 2022 and about 65 percent in 2024. Statewide, Democrats won 40 of California's 52 U.S. House seats in 2022 and 43 in 2024. Democrat Kamala Harris carried California in the 2024 presidential election with about 58 percent of the vote.
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