James Gallagher is running for re-election to represent the California State Assembly District 3 in November against Chico State lecturer Aaron Draper.
Gallagher is a Republican politician who has been a member of the California State Assembly, representing District 3, since 2014. District 3 consists of Butte, Glenn, Placer, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.
Gallagher earned a bachelor’s degree at University of California Berkeley and a law degree from University of California Davis. Before becoming an assembly member, he served on the Sutter County Board of Supervisors for six years. He currently lives in Sutter County with his wife and children.
Gallagher is a member of the Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife, the Committee on Transportation and Emergency Preparedness, the Joint Committee on Rules and the Committee on Legislative Ethics.
As an assembly member, he has focused on improving issues concerning:
- Education
- Homelessness
- Housing costs
- Infrastructure
- Public safety
Gallagher recently stated his opposition on social media to policies championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris that are raising everyday costs for California citizens.
He authored many bills during the 2024 legislative session that addressed issues such as educational equity, patient rights, economic opportunity and energy reliability, as stated on his campaign site.
Some of the most recent legislation he has supported includes Assembly Bill 3056 which would mandate overtime for workers, Assembly Bill 3098 which would provide support to certain businesses impacted by extreme heat and Assembly Bill 2549 which would require health facilities to develop alternate visitation protocols.
The general election between Gallagher and Draper will take place Nov. 5 but ballots will begin mailing on Oct. 7 in Butte County.
Bea Williams can be reached at [email protected].
