House GOP Majority Tightens Further After Sudden Death of California Rep. Doug LaMalfa
Veteran agriculture lawmaker’s passing drops Republicans to a razor-thin margin as leadership braces for special elections and difficult floor math
House Republicans suffered another blow to their already fragile majority after the sudden death of California Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who died at age 65 following 13 years in the House.
The news was announced Tuesday by Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), and immediately reduced the GOP’s edge in the chamber to 218–213. The loss comes just days after Republicans fell to 219 seats following the resignation of Marjorie Taylor Greene, underscoring how little room for error party leaders now have.
LaMalfa represented a large swath of Northern California and was a senior voice on agricultural and resource issues, serving on the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Transportation committees. Before arriving in Washington in 2013, he spent years in California’s state Assembly and Senate, building close ties to farm groups, water districts, and rural communities.
For Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), the timing is especially problematic. With full attendance, Johnson can now afford to lose only two Republican votes on any party-line legislation. That margin could tighten further later this month, when Democrats are widely expected to pick up a seat in a special election to replace a Texas Democrat.
Beyond the immediate floor math, LaMalfa’s death also creates a vacancy on committees central to agriculture, energy, and infrastructure debates — areas already under strain as Republicans juggle appropriations, farm policy extensions, and trade-related disputes early in the new year.
