McGuire challenges LaMalfa in a redrawn Northern California neighborhood

from Maya S. MillerCalMatters

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California Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire has officially launched his challenge to longtime Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa in a congressional district drastically redrawn from Proposition 50.

The Santa Rosa Democrat, who will reach his 12-year term in the Legislature next year, was widely viewed after the new maps were drawn as a potential challenger to LaMalfa, an Oroville rice farmer who has represented the Upstate in Congress since 2013.

LaMalfa’s current district stretches from Siskiyou County and much of the Oregon-California border down through rural Shasta and Sutter counties. Under new voter-approved Prop. 50 cardsthe district shifts south from Modoc County and runs west to take parts of Sonoma County and McGuire’s home base of Santa Rosa.

McGuire will face serious skepticism from some northern rural residents in the 1st Congressional District, who just a few years ago tried to secede from liberal California to form the conservative “Jefferson State” with rural parts of southern Oregon.

In an apparent effort to deflect the inevitable accusations that he was out of touch with country life, McGuire spent much of its launch video doubling down on promises to prioritize farmers’ needs and “make sure rural communities get their fair share”.

“I know these roads. I know these towns,” McGuire says as he walks down a tree-lined country road, a white pickup truck clearly visible in the background. “This area is big, it’s rural, and it needs a fighter now more than ever.”

After the devastating wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and killed dozens in Sonoma and Napa counties in 2017, McGuire has made wildfire prevention a top issue in the Legislature. After the Palisades and Eaton fires in January, McGuire introduced an ambitious package of 13 bills that expanded insurance coverage and sped up the recovery of damaged homes after devastating fires.

His critics say McGuire’s exclusive focus on wildfire issues has sometimes clouded his ability to balance and prioritize other policy areas, especially since he ascended to the role of pro last February, succeeding respected former Sen. Tony Atkins and becoming the chief traffic officer for which bills can enter the Senate.

McGuire also developed a reputation for holding off negotiations until he could score a victory for his political priorities or his constituents: he was the biggest recipient of budget “target brands” for local projects at home, funds he is sure to tout as big wins during his campaign.

During the last minute negotiations of a agreement on multilateral climate and energy policy earlier this fall, Governor Gavin Newsom had to visit the Capitol for eleven hours to get McGuire and his team on the same page with him and the Assembly leadership.

McGuire promised in his launch video to deliver “no drama, no BS, no gimmicks” if elected to Congress. And while he mostly avoided the argument that he would flip a seat from Republican to Democratic control, he acknowledged that he would push back against the Trump administration.

“Don’t worry, I will always oppose Donald Trump’s destructive policies,” he said in the video. “I turn everything on – every damn day.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.