Gallagher, McGuire advance to November election in California's 1st Congressional District race, CBS News projects

Republican Assemblymember James Gallagher and Democratic state Sen. Mike McGuire will advance in the primary election for California's 1st Congressional District, CBS News projects.

Gallagher is also projected to have won a special election to finish late Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa's term, which is set to expire in early January.

Voter-approved Proposition 50 targeted District 1 to make it more favorable for Democrats by adding Santa Rosa to the district and removing Redding. The new boundaries for the district include Lassen, Sierra, Plumas, Butte, Tehama, Glenn, and parts of Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties.

Other candidates seeking the office also included Democrats Audrey Denney and Janice Karrman, along with no party preference candidates Timothy Kelly and Richard Minner.

The special primary election will be for the current District 1 boundaries that include Modoc, Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Butte, Lassen, Sutter and parts of Yuba County.

Gallagher has represented California's 3rd Assembly District since 2014 and has also served as the Assembly Minority Leader. On his campaign website, he said he's running to maintain the "representation that is Doug's legacy," saying he will put the people first and be a strong voice for the rural communities.

McGuire currently represents California's 2nd Senate District. He said he's running for Congress to grow jobs, increase affordability and health care access.

Denney, an educator and nonprofit leader, ran for Congress in 2018 and 2020. Her campaign website said she's running to get big money out of politics, reduce fire severity and protect forests, and to lower prescription drug costs and expand Medicare.

Minner is a retired software architect and engineer who said on his campaign website that "seeing the partisan divide worsen each decade inspired me to run for Congress." His campaign website goes on to say, "the proper role of a Representative is, well, to represent."

Kelly is an attorney and educator who said he believes change comes from the people. His campaign website said he wants to tackle what he calls the housing, education and constitutional crises.

Karrman, a retired wine broker, does not have a campaign website.