Dianna
Margaret James
Democratic challenger Dianna Margaret James is running for California Assembly District 1 against Republican incumbent Heather Hadwick.
- sources
- 12
- positions
- 8
- endorsements
- 6
Background
Dianna Margaret James is the Democratic candidate challenging Republican incumbent Heather Hadwick in California's 1st Assembly District in the November 2026 general election. She describes herself as a fifth-generation Californian and resident of Mount Shasta. 18
James's campaign biography states she worked as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State and as a field-based aid specialist in Asia and the Middle East. A September 2026 news report notes she provided technical expertise on democracy and human rights in Iraq and worked with USAID across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. No employment dates are provided in the sources reviewed. 18
The California Secretary of State's candidate information lists her ballot designation as Community Organizer, a description echoed by local Democratic organizations. No prior elected office has been identified in the sources reviewed. 124
At a glance
- Party
- Democratic
- Running for
- State Assembly · District 1, California
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- Community Organizer
- Website
- diannajamesad1.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 6endorsementSacramento Bee endorses Hadwick over James in Assembly District 1 race
The Sacramento Bee editorial board endorsed Republican incumbent Heather Hadwick rather than Democratic challenger Dianna Margaret James for California's 1st Assembly District seat.
CA-1 2026 House forecast - FutureBallot · Oct 12, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 6newsJames listed as participant in North Tahoe Community Alliance virtual 'Meet the Candidates' event
James and incumbent Heather Hadwick were listed as participants in a virtual 'Meet the Candidates' event hosted by the North Tahoe Community Alliance on October 6.
2026 California 1st District - Gallagher vs. McGuire · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 26newsRace guide profiles James's platform: jobs, clean water, open land, wildfire prep
A Sacramento Bee race guide described James's campaign platform as centered on good jobs, clean water, and open land, with priorities including rural infrastructure, access to capital for local entrepreneurs, preserving rivers, forests and farmland, addressing living costs, wildfire preparedness, and lower utility rates.
Your guide to California's 1st Assembly District race · Sep 26, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 17newsNevada County League forum not scheduled; James cited as unable to find a date
The Nevada County League of Women Voters announced that no Assembly District 1 candidate forum was scheduled because Hadwick had accepted but James 'was unable to schedule.'
Read The Bee's endorsement for California's 1st Assembly District · Oct 6, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jun 2newsJames receives ~36–38% in CA Assembly District 1 primary, advances to general
In the June 2 primary, Dianna Margaret James received approximately 36.6% (or 38.5% per a later source) of the vote, behind Republican incumbent Heather Hadwick's ~50.4% (or 48.7%) and Republican Darin Hale's 13%. James and Hadwick advanced to the November general election. Coverage is inconsistent on exact percentages.
Your guide to California's 1st Assembly District race · Sep 26, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- California Young Democrats organizationListed on the California Young Democrats endorsements page for Assembly District 1 in the 2026 general election; no specific date stated. cayoungdems.net
- Nevada County Democrats organizationListed on the Nevada County Democrats endorsed candidates page; no specific date stated. nevadacountydemocrats.org
- Plumas County Democrats organizationListed on the Plumas County Democrats candidate page (published June 23, 2026); endorsement stated on the group's website by July 2026. plumascountydemocrats.org
- Placer County Democratic Party organizationListed on the Placer County Democratic Party endorsements page as of October 11, 2026; no specific endorsement date stated. placerdems.org
- Siskiyou County Democrats organizationReported in the Siskiyou County Democrats newsletter updated October 7, 2026; no specific endorsement date stated. siskiyoudemocrats.org
- California Democratic Party (CADEM) organizationListed as 'AD 01 - Dianna Margaret James' in CADEM's 2026 General Election Endorsements document dated August 2, 2026. cadem.org · Aug 2, 2026
Sources 12
- [1] CA-1 2026 House forecast - FutureBallot(opens in a new tab) Oct 12, 2026
- [2] Endorsements — Placer County Democratic Party(opens in a new tab) Oct 11, 2026
- [3] 2026 California 1st District - Gallagher vs. McGuire(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
- [4] Newsletters | Dccsc - Siskiyou County Democrats(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
- [5] Read The Bee's endorsement for California's 1st Assembly District(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
- [6] Endorsements - California Young Democrats(opens in a new tab) Oct 3, 2026
- [7] Dianna James for California Assembly — AD-1 2026(opens in a new tab) Sep 26, 2026
- [8] Your guide to California's 1st Assembly District race(opens in a new tab) Sep 26, 2026
- [9] Nevada County Democrats(opens in a new tab) Sep 22, 2026
- [10] [PDF] 2026 General Election Endorsements(opens in a new tab) Aug 8, 2026
- [11] Know Our Candidates - Plumas County Democrats(opens in a new tab) Jun 23, 2026
- [12] Democratic Candidate for Assembly District 1 Shares ...(opens in a new tab) May 18, 2026