By admin 
Republican James Gallagher resigned from the state Assembly on Tuesday following a special election win for California’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He had represented California’s 3rd Assembly District and served as the Assembly’s minority leader.
Read more When is it too hot to walk your dog? What to know as California heat wave hits
He will finish out the term of former U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who died unexpectedly during emergency surgery in early January. His death triggered a special election in the 1st Congressional District, which currently includes inland areas in Northern California, including Butte and Shasta counties.
Gallagher’s special election campaign had been endorsed by LaMalfa’s wife, Jill LaMalfa, within weeks of his death. She said the late congressman would have wanted Gallagher, a longtime ally and kindred political spirit, to finish out his term.
“One of the greatest privileges of my life has been representing the great people of Northern California, and I remain honored and grateful for their trust and support,” Gallagher said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
The race to replace Gallagher in California’s 3rd Assembly District is already underway. Three Republicans faced off during the primaries, but only two, Dom Belza and James “Jamie” Johansson, will advance to the general election in November.
Belza currently leads with around 46% of the vote as of Tuesday evening, according to results from the California Secretary of State’s Office. Johansson is trailing behind with around 29% of the vote.
In his resignation statement, the newly-elected Congressman Gallagher reflected on his time as minority leader.
“I’ve had special moments with each of you, even some of my bitterest rivals,” he wrote. “But I hate that my people still don’t have a real shot to govern themselves. Decisions are made for them, often against their clear will or desire.”
Read more Why Tom Steyer’s $215 million campaign fell short in California governor race
In closing, he urged the Assembly to pass AJR 23, a resolution introduced by Gallagher that would allow California’s inland and rural counties to form a new state.
The Associated Press declared Gallagher the outright winner of the special election to replace LaMalfa on June 3, after he garnered about 62% of the vote. He’ll represent the 1st District until the U.S. congressional term ends in January.
In the meantime, Gallagher will continue his fight to keep the 1st Congressional District red after Proposition 50 redistricting redrew its boundaries, adding portions of solidly democratic Mendocino and Sonoma counties and removing conservative Shasta and Sutter counties.
The shift was one of the most dramatic brought on by the redistricting efforts, which first went into effect for the June primaries. It created an unusual situation for Gallagher: The boundaries set prior to Prop. 50 were used for the special election, while the new borders were used for the primary.
The results of the primary election set up a contentious race come November. Gallagher leads with 44% of the vote as of Tuesday evening, according to state officials. In the general election, he will likely face Democrat Mike McGuire. McGuire had most recently served as the California Senate president pro tempore and earned around 40% of the primary vote as of late Tuesday.
In a statement following the primary, Gallagher criticized the new election map.
“In November we will be running in a new District, drawn not by an independent citizens commission, but in a backroom by my opponent Mike McGuire and other Sacramento politicians,” he said. “The results tonight indicate that we will do well, as voters are fed up with Gavin Newsom and his chief Lieutenant Mike McGuire.”
Read more There’s a simple fix for Brandon Aiyuk’s ugly 49ers divorce. It’s not on Instagram