I didn’t know Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) as well as others, particularly those he represented in the U.S. Congress.
What I did know follows the pattern of authenticity that I have written on before.
Doug was a no nonsense, honest broker.
I first met him in 2008, when I was running for state legislature. I was in a four-way GOP primary, running in the #1 targeted seat in the State of California. Doug was being lobbied by his political consultant to back a different candidate who was more conservative than I was.
I knew that Doug was a state leader on water policy and passionate about building dams and improving California’s outdated water storage system. I did my research and found that we agreed on water policy.
We first met in Sacramento at a fundraising event for my campaign. I sat and spoke with Doug for a good 15 minutes. He was genuinely interested in learning about me, why I was running, and wanted to make sure I wasn’t one of those Bay Area folks who caves to political winds rather than doing the right thing.
At the end of our talk, he said I had convinced him that he should remain neutral in our primary. That was a victory for me.
Years later, I would visit him in Congress as an advocate for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. I remember me and my son, Michael, visiting with him in person. He had lost a friend to pancreatic cancer and we had just lost my mother. Doug was happy to sign onto our legislation to improve research funding.
In 2018, I saw him in Washington, D.C., at reception that the National Federation of Independent Business was having. He stopped by and we had a chance to catch up on small business issues.
Today, the NFIB put out this statement –
“The passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa is heart-breaking. California small businesses have lost a proven champion of Main Street enterprises. He was an NFIB member for 43 years and his expertise on agricultural and water issues will not easily be replaced.” – John Kabateck, State Director, NFIB-CA
I last saw Doug a few years ago—about five minutes from my house. He was keynoting a Contra Costa GOP event and we had a good chat about California wildfires in the North Country and his hard work to help those who had been impacted. I told him that I led a local effort to help raise funds to support a single woman veteran and mother who had lost her home in the Camp Fire.
No doubt, Rep. Doug LaMalfa was one of the good guys. He will truly be missed by constituents who adored him. May he Rest in Peace.
Judy Lloyd is a 20+ year veteran of politics & government, a staunch defender of small business and pancreatic cancer research, and a private sector businesswoman in California. Learn more at Altamont Communications Strategies and watch for her new endeavor – the Purple Inspiration Podcast – coming soon!