2026Final resultsSpecial election
2026 special election for California's 1st District
U.S. House · California
James Gallagher (R) won with 62.1% of the vote, defeating Audrey Denney (D) by 43.6 points.
James GallagherRepublican · winner
62.1%123,551
Audrey DenneyDemocrat
18.5%36,841
Mike McGuireDemocrat
17.3%34,319
Jot ThiaraRepublican
1.2%2,423
Richard MontgomeryIndependent
0.9%1,808
198,942 votes
Source: State and county election authorities (CA, DE, FL, GA, LA, MA, MN, SC, WA)Updated Oct 13, 2026, 8:26 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 2026
The seat's recent races
Source: Past results: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
The candidates
James Gallagher (R)Audrey Denney (D)Mike McGuire (D)
Also on the ballot: Jot Thiara (Republican), 1.2%; Richard Montgomery (Independent), 0.9%