More than 200 people packed the Palms in north Chico on Saturday to hear State Senator Mike McGuire — who’s running for Congress — speak.
The Sonoma County Democrat is campaigning to represent California’s 1st Congressional District in both the special election to fill the remainder of the late Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s term and the regular election for the newly redrawn district under Proposition 50, which favors Democrats.
“Candidly, for far too long, representatives in rural parts of this county, majority Republican, have taken away from the people that they work for,” McGuire told NSPR at the event.
On Saturday, he focused on rural and quality of life issues that he described as nonpartisan, including wildfires, jobs and health care.
“If you talk to a Republican in Sierraville or a Democrat in Oroville, everyone wants to send their kid to a good public school,” McGuire said. “They want to have access to quality health care. They want to afford a home in the community they love.”
McGuire has faced criticism from opponents in the race, including Democrat Audrey Denney and Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher, who say he represents the wealthy elite and is not from the North State.
McGuire grew up on a ranch in the Alexander Valley near Healdsburg. He was first elected to the State Senate in 2014 where he served as the majority leader and president. Butte County Supervisor Tami Ritter says she believes McGuire has the experience to succeed in Congress.
“I feel like he can just hit the ground running the way no other candidate could possibly,” Ritter said.
She pointed to his track record as the main reason he gets her ringing endorsement. Before getting into state politics, McGuire served on his local school board, city council and board of supervisors.
“I looked at all of the things that he has done, and he understands government at every level,” Ritter said.
Still, not everyone at the town hall was entirely sold on McGuire. One person asked why people should vote for him over Denney, who lives in Chico and has close ties to the region.
Peggy Reis is originally from Modesto and moved to Chico last spring. She told NSPR she was impressed by McGuire, but said she still had to weigh her options.
“He seems very approachable, and I think he's had a lot of success in the Senate here in California,” Reis said. “I just worry how things can transfer to Washington, being a junior senator coming in.”
Last month, McGuire was formally endorsed by the state’s Democratic Party, despite an internal fight with party leadership that got heated, according to CalMatters.
