A dramatic plan to reshape California congressional districts to favor Democrats will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot after lawmakers placed the proposal for voter approval. The vote could affect control of Congress in 2026. California's 1st Congressional District stretches from the Sacramento Valley to the Oregon and Nevada borders and has been a Republican stronghold; voters favored Trump by 25 points in the last presidential election. The new map would move Siskiyou, Shasta and Modoc counties into the 2nd District, likely making Representative Doug LaMalfa's re-election more difficult. Rural residents fear losing local representation. Democrats say LaMalfa backed a bill that will cut Medicaid and services; 43% of district residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal.
In California's 1st Congressional District, there's already plenty of uncertainty. It stretches from the flat, fertile Sacramento Valley, up through Mt. Shasta's treasured lakes and dense forests, and all the way to the Oregon and Nevada borders. It's long been a Republican stronghold. Voters favored President Trump by 25 points in the last presidential election.
But if the new maps are approved, current Representative Doug LaMalfa will be facing a much tougher re-election challenge. That's because the new map would move Siskiyou, Shasta and Modoc counties into the 2nd Congressional District, a coastal region running from Crescent City to the Golden Gate Bridge. Donna Bacigalupi is president of the Siskiyou Conservative Republicans. She worries redistricting will drown out rural voices. "We would really hate to lose the only voice we have, no matter how small it is," she said.
But Democrats in the region say they feel LaMalfa doesn't represent their interests. "He signed the big bill that is gonna cut Medicaid and cut services from most of his constituents," said Alice Rogers, chair of the Siskiyou Democratic Party. 43% of district residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, according to data from the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
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