​Candidate for Congress in California’s 1st Congressional District shares her response to the sudden passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa:

I want to say how deeply sorry I am for the loss of Congressman LaMalfa. My heart is with his family, the people who loved him, and everyone who is grieving right now. Losing someone suddenly is devastating, and that’s something that transcends politics.

I keep thinking about a moment from a forum we did together back in 2018. Doug said that he and I didn’t agree on much, which was true, but that we were both SF Giants fans. It was a small moment,​ but it stands out for me. It reminded me that we can live in a world where we disagree fundamentally, and still recognize each other’s humanity. We can hold sadness for a loss and compassion for a family, even when we’ve fought hard on the issues​.

At the same time, this moment leaves Northern California without a voice in Congress. And that matters. People here are struggling with rising healthcare costs, the cost of living, housing insecurity, wildfire recovery, and a​ whole lot of uncertainty. ​They deserve their seat at the table.

Many of us have questions about what comes next in regaining that seat at the table, and we will be paying close attention to the details coming out of the Governor’s and Secretary of State’s offices about next steps.

While there are more questions than answers right now, what I know is that my commitment to serving Northern California communities, especially when things are difficult, doesn’t change based on titles or timelines. I will continue to show up for this region in whatever capacity I can, because this place and these people matter deeply to me.

Take care of yourselves this week, friends.