Quincy, population 1,600, is not exactly the sort of place where one regularly encounters California’s most powerful Democratic lawmakers. Nestled deep in the Sierra Nevada, this forested town lies in a rural and reliably red county that has sent Republicans to Congress for nearly half a century. However, on a Tuesday night in mid-April, Mike McGuire, a three-term state lawmaker and former California Senate leader, rallied a crowd of some 40 people inside a local veterans hall with the fervor of a Baptist preacher.
McGuire’s Populist Pitch
“No matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican, you want to send your kid to a good public school. You want to be able to keep your hospital open and to keep healthcare thriving in the community that you love. Am I right, ladies and gentlemen?” McGuire said to applause. “That’s what we need to fight for right now.”
As McGuire, now on his third visit to the area in recent months, spoke about bringing more jobs to rural America and passing Medicare for all, the crowd grew louder. “The only way that we’re going to turn this country around is that Democrats in this country, leadership in Washington DC, need to grow a damn spine.”
Until this year, McGuire, a 46-year-old from the small wine country city of Healdsburg, would have been an unlikely candidate for Congress in this part of the state. Plumas County, where Quincy is located, is a longtime Republican stronghold where voters have backed Donald Trump for the last three elections by a large margin.
Redistricting Changes the Game
California’s Proposition 50, which redrew the state’s voting maps to favor Democrats, has made the region competitive again. It placed Quincy in the newly drawn first congressional district, now a battleground for control of Congress. The district will see two contests: a special election this summer to fill the remaining term of Representative Doug LaMalfa, who died unexpectedly in January, and a November midterm election for the next two-year term.
In both races, McGuire faces a Republican state lawmaker and a progressive Democrat, each with deep local ties. The special election uses old boundaries where McGuire does not live, giving him an uphill battle. However, political analysts consider McGuire the leading contender in the November election, describing the new district as “tailor-made” for him. He has received endorsements from major unions, tribal leaders, Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi, and both of California’s senators.
National Implications
“The way Democrats deliver the house in November is by delivering the five seats in California. The way you deliver the five seats in California is you have to deliver the NorCal seat,” said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State who previously taught McGuire.
McGuire is making his pitch to voters across the district through nearly 40 town hall events over the last five months, from Santa Rosa to the 300-person town of Sierraville. This approach historically resonated with the late Representative LaMalfa, a rice farmer known for frequent appearances at community events, from parades to backyard barbecues, connecting him with rural, primarily conservative voters.
Campaign Focus: Jobs, Healthcare, and Wildfires
McGuire campaigns on key arguments: Trump poses a major threat to US democracy, Democrats have failed to stand up to the president and have forgotten rural America, and all people want a more affordable life. He emphasizes his track record as the best person to champion rural northern California in Congress, bringing jobs and healthcare to the region. He also focuses on wildfires and lowering insurance costs, a major concern in a district that has seen some of California’s deadliest fires.
During campaign events, McGuire has harsh words for Democrats who must move on from “go along and get along” politics, and for Trump. “I believe that Donald Trump is a fascist. He’s corrupt. He’s a charlatan, a narcissist, and one of the worst things that has happened to this nation in modern American history,” he told the crowd in Quincy. “We would be complicit if we were silent at this moment in American history.”
Despite Trump’s widespread support in the area, McGuire’s criticism lands well with attendees, typically drawing cheers and applause.
Overcoming Skepticism
McGuire faces skepticism from voters who view him as an outsider. Resentment toward Sacramento and Washington politicians is enduring here, with a long-standing secessionist movement known as the State of Jefferson. “Candidly, he’s going to be seen as the big city guy, as an interloper. He’s going to be seen as someone who is not welcome at some level,” McCuan said. “But that will not dissuade him one bit.”
In response, McGuire highlights his record as the first rural Democrat to lead California’s Senate in over a century. He points to efforts in Trinity, a conservative county that has never voted for him, where he helped secure investments for the fire department and rebuilt the high school, including an all-weather track and evacuation center. Jaime Green, the district superintendent and a Republican, praised McGuire as the “best politician in all the United States of America” in an interview with Sonoma Magazine, saying McGuire “damn near made me a Democrat.”
Progressive Challenger
McGuire also encounters hesitation from some Democrats who support his progressive competitor, Audrey Denney, who twice ran against LaMalfa and gained significant votes. In a campaign ad, Denney, who refuses corporate PAC money, criticized McGuire as an establishment candidate funded by PG&E, big drug companies, and health insurers. McGuire’s campaign rejected these claims, pointing to endorsements from the California Nurses Association and support for universal healthcare. The campaign stated he has not accepted donations from PG&E, major pharmaceutical companies, or health insurance corporations while running for Congress, and had previously returned a PG&E contribution.
“Voters are fed up with this kind of negative, divisive politics. They want a proven fighter who’s won against Trump. That’s Mike McGuire,” said Jackson Boaz, a campaign spokesperson.
Electoral Prospects
Political observers say McGuire is unlikely to win the special election. Lisa Pruitt, a professor and rural law expert at UC Davis School of Law, noted that while McGuire understands rural issues, he will struggle as a progressive from a populous area. “It’s hard for me to imagine a Democrat winning that district,” she said. However, his odds improve in November with the new district composition, where most voters are in his home county. The Chico Enterprise-Record split its endorsement, backing Republican James Gallagher in the special election and McGuire in the midterm.
The political upheaval reflects how mid-decade redistricting reshapes representation across the US. Trump’s push for new maps in Texas sparked a wave, with California, Florida, and Virginia following. In far northern California, Republicans fear being forgotten, while Democrats celebrate the prospect of progressive representation for the first time in decades.
“We fought and fought and we kept saying we’re going to get it to turn purple. We are going to get one of our candidates elected. And then we were disappointed,” said Sherilyn Schwartz, with a local chapter of Indivisible. “This will be a lot easier and we’re really excited.”
Other progressives said McGuire’s event marked the first time they were in a room with like-minded people in their community. “It’s very freeing being able to not feel ashamed of what your political views are,” said Ava Ward, a 19-year-old college student.
