Primary election results: Doug LaMalfa to face Max Steiner in November runoff for Congress

Damon Arthur David Benda
Redding Record Searchlight
Doug LaMalfa

The race to re-election is starting out slower for incumbent U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa than it did two years ago, when he earned a higher margin of victory against a larger field of challengers.

As of Wednesday afternoon, LaMalfa had 53.8% of the vote, compared to the 54.6% of votes he received in the 2020 primary.

And back in 2020 he faced six challengers, compared with the four he faced this year.

LaMalfa will face Democrat Max Steiner of Chico in November. Steiner garnered 35.6% of the vote, according to the California Secretary of State's Office.  

In addition to Steiner, LaMalfa faced challenges from Rose Yee, an independent from Redding and Tim Geist, also a Republican. But only the top two voter getters advance to the runoff election in November.

Among the election campaign signs posted along many of the roadways around Shasta County, few include the names of congressional candidates.

Shasta County Election Results 2022 | Record Searchlight

Susan Wilson, with the League of Women Voters of Shasta County, said her group had no forums this year for congressional candidates. She said an official with LaMalfa's campaign told her that LaMalfa did not plan to participate in primary election forums.

The Democratic Central Committee of Shasta County held a candidate forum in which Steiner, Geist and Yee participated. LaMalfa's campaign declined due a scheduling conflict, according to the committee.

Max Steiner is running for U.S. Congressional District 1.

LaMalfa, Steiner and Yee submitted candidate statements to the Shasta County Elections Department. Geist did not.

Steiner said in his statement that he was interested in defending constitutional rights, working on forest management and reducing wildfire risk.

"We need a strong timber industry to reduce fire risk. We need to hire more firefighters and pay them better. We need more dams to manage the effects of climate change," Steiner's campaign statement says.

Yee said she was interested in improving living and economic conditions for all Americans.

"What if we can go to a doctor without having to worry about paying for it? What if there’s a safety net so that you’re free to quit that soul destroying job and seek greener pastures? What if college were free to those who want it? What if there’s a jobs guarantee so that all can be productive citizens of this great country?" Yee said on her candidates statement.

Geist, listed his experience on Ballotpedia as a caregiver, a science writer and a published researcher.

"Strong borders, strong economy, strong democracy," Geist's website says.

LaMalfa said in his candidate's statement he has brought billions in disaster recovery aid to the North State, supported the proposed Sites Reservoir and is the "leading voice on changing federal forest policy, so we thin our overgrown forests and reduce the risk of major fires," he said in his statement.

Rose Yee is running for U.S. Congressional District 1.

The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021, which would have prohibited the government from restricting womens' access to abortions, according to Ballotpedia. 

He also voted against the Build Back Better Act, which would have created a budget for spending on such areas as climate change and renewable energy, childcare and universal pre-Kindergarten, healthcare and Medicare hearing expansion, public housing and affordability issues and home care, according to Ballotpedia.