Editor: Mike McGuire of Healdsburg, Audrey Denney of Chico and Kyle Wilson of Santa Rosa are running for Congress to represent the redrawn District 1 that includes Butte County.
A couple of days ago, I received a text from the Mike McGuire campaign asking if I wanted to attend an event. I was curious about Mike, so I followed the link, where I found I had to “apply” to attend by providing my name and a sample question.
I filled out the form, providing various forms of identification. The question I submitted was: “Can he think outside of the box?”
I hit “send” and waited.
I am always a bit surprised to pass any sort of vetting process, whether it’s for a HELOC or a background check for a new job. Often, it results in bad news. But this time, the campaign foolishly approved my application and gave me the time and location for a “Coffee with Mike” discussion.
The Litmus Test of Political Carbs
I arrived at the Community Center here in Red Bluff to find around 26 other people. Several of the men (including me) sported ponytails. Most of us were on the north side of the 50-year-old barrier.
You can always judge the professionalism of a campaign by the quality of the coffee and the deliciousness of the carbohydrates. Forget the propaganda leaflets; it is best to judge the quality of the treats.
As my friend Bob said: “This is good coffee.” I agreed as I munched on a decadent chocolate muffin and a piece of blueberry breakfast bread. The carbs were delicious. This, for sure, would be a professional Establishment campaign.
Then Mike introduced himself to the crowd. With his chiseled, youthful appearance, the guy looked like he had never eaten a carb in his life.
The Shadow of Proposition 50
When Proposition 50 passed in California last November, it redrew congressional district lines to favor Democrats—a reaction to Republican gerrymandering throughout the nation. The First District of California had been solidly red for 50 years, and for the last decade, it belonged to Doug LaMalfa, who passed away unexpectedly Jan. 6. Doug was famous for voting with the party line 100% of the time; he also famously stated on national television that he couldn’t prove we actually landed on the moon.
Because of Prop 50, the new District shifted from being a +24 Trump area to a +12 District for the Democrats. The lines were drawn by Democrats in the legislature. Among them was Mike McGuire—the president of the California Senate and the third person in line to succeed the governor-who announced he would run for the seat in November.
The Heavyweight vs. The Insurgent
Mike is an excellent campaigner. He commands the room. He makes good eye contact and is respectful of his audience—even if everyone there was vetted. It was impressive that Mike chose to spend his first Saturday in the race in Red Bluff. Tehama County voted against Proposition 50 by a huge margin of 72% to 28%. He was brave to swim against that current.
Additionally, he joins a race where Audrey Denney is the local favorite. Audrey ran against LaMalfa twice, once coming within 10 points—an incredible turnout for a Democrat in this region. Audrey has never held elected office, yet she raises millions while turning down all PAC and corporate donations. She is a proud progressive populist.
So, as the race stands, we have Mike McGuire: a man in public office since age 19, representing the Establishment. On the other side is Audrey Denney: the popular, insurgent local candidate. Mike is from the plush wine country of Healdsburg; Audrey lives in Chico and teaches at Chico State. They are both young, smart, and ambitious.
The Question
When Mike courted the crowd for questions, I raised my hand. I spoke sheepishly, though my words were pointed:
“I don’t want to come across as overly hostile because I will support you 100%. But you are an Establishment politician, and some say Proposition 50 was designed specifically for you to get this seat. Now, my problem is that we have a popular Democrat in Audrey Denney who has built a reputation in this area. So, my question is: Why should we accept an urban politician to represent us, rather than having a rural populist be sold by Santa Rosa instead?”
Gulp.
Mike took a step back and said, “I’m glad someone asked that question.” He went on to suggest I hadn’t done my research, asserting that he is a rural Democrat. He talked about growing up in a one-streetlight town and argued that people from Crescent City or Covelo would argue with my characterization of him as “urban.”
But, as always, look for what the politician left unsaid.
He didn’t argue against the premise that Proposition 50 benefited him. He didn’t argue against being a part of the Establishment wing of the Democratic Party. He is an insider’s insider.
After his defense, he stated I could have the last word. It was a gracious moment. I politely declined. “I have caused enough trouble,” I told him.
Final Thoughts
Mike McGuire is a talented man. He would be an excellent choice to represent the newly drawn First District. But so would Audrey Denney. Thank God we still get to choose our leaders in this country. On the Democratic side of the aisle, we have two good candidates. It is too bad that only one can win.
Oh, and on my way out, I grabbed a delicious Danish. Establishment politicians always have the best coffee and carbs.
Dates were corrected in this column for accuracy.
This column was reprinted from writer Allan Stellar’s Substack here.
6 Comments
Delightful ruminations. I can almost taste the coffee, danish, and healthy skepticism.
Not true this: “On the same day Mike McGuire announced he would run for the newly drawn seat, Doug LaMalfa passed away unexpectedly from an aortic aneurysm.”
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2025/11/13/i-want-to-earn-every-vote-mike-mcguire-announces-run-for-congress-in-redrawn-north-coast-district/
Sorry, I’ve had enough of rich white guys running the show. They had their chance and blew it. Audrey Denny for Congress.
True. McGuire gave up his president of the senate position on January 5 in order to focus on his campaign. Doug LaMalfa passed away on January 6 (ironically). Thanks for clarifying that….
My view on the upcoming congressional election was, until yesterday, similar to Alan Stellar’s. That’s until I stumbled upon the Sacramento Bee article “California lawmakers use campaign cash to trade access, perks”.
The well researched investigative report paints McGuire as a duplicitous politician who entices big money donors to contribute to a bogus campaign fund that he set up to ostensibly to raise money for upcoming ballot initiatives.
With the alluring title: “Progress for California”, the campaign account has never spent a penny on its intended purpose, but rather has become McGuire’s personal slush fund to pay for extravagant wine and dine get togethers for wealthy donors. The article zooms in on the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas. That’s after Mike pilfered $40,000 from his ballot campaign account in order to garner favor from the opulent. To Mike it was imperative that he cover the necessary expenses to make the Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs a memorable experience for the ruling elites.
Mike hosted a Super Bowl bash that came with elegant lodging, delicious meals and free airfare. Anheuser-Busch pitched in as well, the beer giant gifted McGuire ticket packages worth $33,750.
The article is making the rounds. It’s on the front page of today’s ER, and also made it to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Perhaps the reporters were misled by their investigation, but it looks as damning as what we see coming out of the Trump administration, albeit more sophisticated.
With James Gallagher announcing his candidacy as the Republican contender to fill LaMalfa’s seat we are guaranteed to hear a lot more about this scandal beginning to circulate around McGuire. At least we have another choice other than McGuire. I have faith that Audrey Denny would be an honest representative for our Congressional District, and with all the turmoil surrounding Trump, and Democratic preforming well in recent elections, she has a good chance of winning. She just needs to strength to fend off a corrupt Republican Party and a deceitful Democratic opponent.