Doug LaMalfa, who has represented California's 1st Congressional District for the last 13 years, died suddenly on Monday at the age of 65. No cause of death has been announced, but LaMalfa's death will further constrain Republicans' narrow majority in the House.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa's death was announced on the House GOP's official X account Tuesday morning. "A lifelong resident of Northern California and a fourth-generation rice farmer, Congressman LaMalfa spent more than two decades in public service. He proudly represented California’s 1st Congressional District from 2013 to 2026, serving as Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus," the announcement said.

Born in Oroviille in 1960, LaMalfa attended Cal Poly and received a degree in agricultural business, ultimately taking over his family's rice farm.

LaMalfa was elected to the seat in 2012 following the retirement of longtime Congressman Wally Herger, after previously representing a similar district in northeastern California in the state Senate.

In the state Senate, and earlier in the Assembly, LaMalfa was a fervent supporter of gun rights and advocated in favor Prop 8 and the previous anti-gay-marriage measure, Prop 22.

Redistricting in 2021, along with an influx of more liberal residents in the district, have meant that LaMalfa's tenure in Congress was less secure, and Prop 50 redistricting would also have likely put Republican control of the district in jeopardy in the midterms.

President Trump spoke about LaMalfa's death Tuesday calling him "a great, great, great member" of Congress, and clearly reading from a teleprompter but also trying to pretend like he really knew the guy, he called LaMalfa "a true defender of America's children" and "a defender of everybody," and he spoke about LaMalfa's advocacy in California water fights, "'Release the water!' he'd scream out."

The death leaves a fourth vacancy in the House, and leaves the Republicans with a tight 218-213 majority, meaning that if three Republicans defect or are absent from a party-line vote, they would lose it.

Update: Governor Gavin Newsom, in a statement, called LaMalfa "a devoted public servant who deeply loved his country, his state, and the communities he represented."

"While we often approached issues from different perspectives, he fought every day for the people of California with conviction and care. He will be deeply missed," Newsom said.

Top image: U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) speaks during a hearing at the Heritage Foundation June 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. House Republicans held a hearing to discuss what they are calling “Bidenflation” and “President Joe Biden's energy crisis.” (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)