SAN DIEGO — Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) had no intention of getting into politics. The fourth-generation rice farmer from Richvale, California, started out by putting up posters in his spare time for a cousin who was running for county supervisor.

“I was happy to be the sign guy,” LaMalfa told the Washington Examiner, noting that he worked his way up to putting up signs for candidates running for Congress, governor, and even president. LaMalfa eventually moved from campaigning for others to running himself.