James Gallagher’s record includes East Nicolaus High School, a family rice and walnut operation, the Sutter County Board of Supervisors and the State Assembly. He entered politics as a fellow for Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, won his first election in 2008 and has held elected office in California continuously since then. A lawyer and partner in a fifth-generation farming operation, Gallagher combined those professions with a Republican political career that took him from county government to leadership in Sacramento. He served as Assembly minority leader from 2022 to 2025. Since 2026, he has represented California’s 1st congressional district in the U.S. House.
ROOTS
Gallagher was born March 7, 1981, into a family with a long record in northern California. He is descended from Irish immigrants who settled in the region in the early 1800s. His paternal grandfather, Robert Gallagher, served on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors from 1985 to 1989, an office Gallagher would later hold himself.
After East Nicolaus High School, Gallagher earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Berkeley and a law degree from UC Davis. He has practiced law since 2007. He is also a partner in his family’s rice and walnut farming operation.
Gallagher met his wife, Janna, when they were in kindergarten at Browns School in Rio Oso. They have five children. His education took him from East Nicolaus High School to UC Berkeley and UC Davis, while his career has included the family farm and county board service.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Gallagher began in state politics through the Fellowship Program, working for Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa. His elected career began with the Sutter County Board of Supervisors. Voters elected him to the board in 2008, and he served there until his election to the Legislature.
On November 4, 2014, Gallagher won a seat in the California State Assembly. He succeeded Republican Dan Logue, who had run unsuccessfully for Congress that year. Gallagher moved into caucus leadership in 2017 as Republican Caucus chairman. From 2022 through 2025, he served as Assembly minority leader, placing him at the head of the chamber’s Republican membership.
The progression was steady: legislative fellowship, county supervisor, Assembly member, caucus chairman and minority leader. Gallagher is a Republican, and his Assembly leadership included chairing the Republican Caucus.
THE MOVE TO CONGRESS
In 2026, Gallagher ran for the open seat in California’s 1st congressional district after LaMalfa’s death. President Donald Trump and eight Republican members of California’s congressional delegation endorsed him. Gallagher defeated Democrats Audrey Denney and Mike McGuire in the special election and was sworn into the House on June 10, 2026. Gallagher and McGuire also advanced to a November rematch in the election for the new district boundaries.
His House assignments divide between foreign affairs and transportation. Gallagher serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and its subcommittees covering South and Central Asia and the Western Hemisphere. He also serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, with subcommittee assignments covering aviation; highways and transit; and railroads, pipelines and hazardous materials.
Within the House’s political organization, Gallagher belongs to the Congressional Western Caucus and the Republican Study Committee.
THE THROUGH LINE
The documented record does not identify a single enacted bill or one policy campaign as Gallagher’s signature. It instead shows an institutional route through Sutter County government, Republican legislative leadership and congressional committee work. He has held elected office since 2008, moving from the Board of Supervisors to the Assembly and then the House.
His record includes local government service, Republican organization, membership in the Congressional Western Caucus and transportation committee work. His professional background adds law and family agriculture, though the record does not tie either occupation to a specific legislative result. In Sacramento, his caucus leadership roles included chairman in 2017 and minority leader from 2022 to 2025. In Washington, his work includes assignments involving transportation systems and foreign affairs, along with membership in the Western Caucus and Republican Study Committee.
Gallagher’s career has taken him from the Sutter County Board of Supervisors through the Assembly’s Republican leadership and into Congress as a Republican.
- State Assembly · Assembly District 3 · 2014–present
James Gallagher’s record includes East Nicolaus High School, a family rice and walnut operation, the Sutter County Board of Supervisors and the State Assembly. He entered politics as a fellow for Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, won his first election in 2008 and has held elected office in California continuously since then. A lawyer and partner in a fifth-generation farming operation, Gallagher combined those professions with a Republican political career that took him from county government to leadership in Sacramento. He served as Assembly minority leader from 2022 to 2025. Since 2026, he has represented California’s 1st congressional district in the U.S. House.
ROOTS
Gallagher was born March 7, 1981, into a family with a long record in northern California. He is descended from Irish immigrants who settled in the region in the early 1800s. His paternal grandfather, Robert Gallagher, served on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors from 1985 to 1989, an office Gallagher would later hold himself.
After East Nicolaus High School, Gallagher earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Berkeley and a law degree from UC Davis. He has practiced law since 2007. He is also a partner in his family’s rice and walnut farming operation.
Gallagher met his wife, Janna, when they were in kindergarten at Browns School in Rio Oso. They have five children. His education took him from East Nicolaus High School to UC Berkeley and UC Davis, while his career has included the family farm and county board service.
THE PATH TO OFFICE
Gallagher began in state politics through the Fellowship Program, working for Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa. His elected career began with the Sutter County Board of Supervisors. Voters elected him to the board in 2008, and he served there until his election to the Legislature.
On November 4, 2014, Gallagher won a seat in the California State Assembly. He succeeded Republican Dan Logue, who had run unsuccessfully for Congress that year. Gallagher moved into caucus leadership in 2017 as Republican Caucus chairman. From 2022 through 2025, he served as Assembly minority leader, placing him at the head of the chamber’s Republican membership.
The progression was steady: legislative fellowship, county supervisor, Assembly member, caucus chairman and minority leader. Gallagher is a Republican, and his Assembly leadership included chairing the Republican Caucus.
THE MOVE TO CONGRESS
In 2026, Gallagher ran for the open seat in California’s 1st congressional district after LaMalfa’s death. President Donald Trump and eight Republican members of California’s congressional delegation endorsed him. Gallagher defeated Democrats Audrey Denney and Mike McGuire in the special election and was sworn into the House on June 10, 2026. Gallagher and McGuire also advanced to a November rematch in the election for the new district boundaries.
His House assignments divide between foreign affairs and transportation. Gallagher serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and its subcommittees covering South and Central Asia and the Western Hemisphere. He also serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, with subcommittee assignments covering aviation; highways and transit; and railroads, pipelines and hazardous materials.
Within the House’s political organization, Gallagher belongs to the Congressional Western Caucus and the Republican Study Committee.
THE THROUGH LINE
The documented record does not identify a single enacted bill or one policy campaign as Gallagher’s signature. It instead shows an institutional route through Sutter County government, Republican legislative leadership and congressional committee work. He has held elected office since 2008, moving from the Board of Supervisors to the Assembly and then the House.
His record includes local government service, Republican organization, membership in the Congressional Western Caucus and transportation committee work. His professional background adds law and family agriculture, though the record does not tie either occupation to a specific legislative result. In Sacramento, his caucus leadership roles included chairman in 2017 and minority leader from 2022 to 2025. In Washington, his work includes assignments involving transportation systems and foreign affairs, along with membership in the Western Caucus and Republican Study Committee.
Gallagher’s career has taken him from the Sutter County Board of Supervisors through the Assembly’s Republican leadership and into Congress as a Republican.
The record
3,164 events, each with its sourceAB 1280 Garcia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1275 Elhawary Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1261 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1250 Papan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1249 Wilson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 766 Allen Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan
AB 44 Schultz Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1224 Valencia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 289 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 573 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1197 Calderon Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 288 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1167 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 563 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 76 Alvarez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 561 Quirk-Silva Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 554 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 302 Padilla Senate Third Reading By Petrie-Norris
AB 543 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 472 Stern Senate Third Reading By Lowenthal
AB 1125 Nguyen Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 509 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Bains
AB 263 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 292 Cervantes Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
AB 1104 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 260 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 1096 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1094 Bains Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 527 Papan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 524 Wilson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 361 Becker Senate Third Reading By Wicks
AB 1074 Patel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 518 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 515 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 512 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 250 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1037 Elhawary Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 825 Limón Senate Third Reading By Schiavo
AB 1028 Fong Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 14 Hart Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 246 Bryan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 64 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 485 Reyes Senate Third Reading By Schultz
SB 486 Cabaldon Senate Third Reading By Fong
AB 62 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 586 Jones Senate Third Reading By Jeff Gonzalez
SB 464 Smallwood-Cuevas Senate Third Reading By McKinnor
SB 590 Durazo Senate Third Reading By Wicks
SB 710 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Berman
AB 953 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments