Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a rice farmer who served in political office in California for more than two decades, died suddenly, House GOP leaders said Tuesday.
He was 65.
“Jacquie and I are devastated about the sudden loss of our friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Doug was a loving father and husband, and staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America,” Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, said in a post on X. “Our prayers are with Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children.”
The cause of death was not immediately clear. Right before the holidays, LaMalfa appeared in good spirits, joking with his colleagues and reporters.
LaMalfa’s death was a shock to friends and colleagues on Capitol Hill.
A fourth-generation rice farmer, LaMalfa first won a seat in the California state Assembly in 2002, and would briefly serve in the state Senate from 2010 to 2012, when he won election to Congress.
