Dianna Margaret James
Candidate for Assembly District 1
Dianna Margaret James is the Democratic candidate for California State Assembly District 1. The election is November 3, 2026. She is running against Republican incumbent Heather Hadwick. She placed second in the June 2, 2026 primary. She received 63,056 votes (38.5%), according to the Secretary of State's certified Statement of Vote. James lives in Mount Shasta. She calls herself a fifth-generation Californian. Local news reports say she has about 25 years of work in this field. Her work covers democratic governance and institutional reform. It also covers government accountability. Some of it is tied to USAID. She had posts in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. One local outlet called her a former U.S. State Department affairs officer. She has not held elected office before. Her campaign says her family has a small-business background. It says her campaign takes no corporate funds. It relies on small-dollar gifts. Home: Mount Shasta, California. Occupation: Former U.S. government and international affairs official, per local news. Her current job is not independently confirmed. Prior office: None. This is her first run for elected office.
On the issues
- Economy & Jobs
Supports rural economic development, small business support, and workforce training to help young people build careers locally, without relying on corporate campaign funding.
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Says she is willing to stand up to her own party to ensure fiscal responsibility.
Source → - Health & Health Care
Supports expanding rural health care access through incentives for doctors to practice in rural counties, expanded telemedicine, a medical school loan forgiveness program, and establishment of a medical school in Shasta County.
Source → - Environment, Energy & Climate
Prioritizes wildfire resilience and utility accountability, including aggressive forest management, defensible-space funding, and financial incentives to help homeowners harden their homes against wildfire; campaign also emphasizes protecting Northern California's water and wild places.
Source → - Water & Natural Resources
Emphasizes protecting Northern California's water resources as a campaign priority.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Emphasizes constituent accessibility and transparency, committing to hold regular town halls in every county of the 11-county district and maintain responsive constituent services; her professional background is described as focused on democratic governance and institutional accountability.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.