What would the candidates representing our area do about living costs, immigration enforcement and wildfire recovery?
I covered the Congressional District 26 forum, the Assembly District 42 forum, and Camarillo’s City Council forum. Here are some of the differences, along with areas where candidates agreed.
These races won’t appear on everyone’s ballot. Your address determines your congressional and Assembly districts. I’ll put the county’s sample-ballot lookup and the full reports in the first comment.
CONGRESS, DISTRICT 26: Jacqui Irwin (D) and Sam Gallucci (R)
They’re running for the open seat held by Julia Brownley, who is not seeking reelection.
Immigration
Both said longtime undocumented workers should have a way to remain in the country, but their approaches differed.
- Irwin supported a secure border and a pathway to citizenship for longtime residents. She criticized ICE’s conduct under the Trump administration and called for accountability.
- Gallucci supported allowing longtime workers to stay while removing criminals, describing a merit-based approach. He also criticized immigration-rights “red cards,” arguing they could provoke ICE agents.
For context, the widely distributed red cards explain rights such as remaining silent, seeking legal advice and withholding consent to home entry without a judicial warrant.
Living costs and federal spending
- Irwin emphasized tariffs, health care costs and the economic effects of the Iran war. She supported closing tax loopholes and criticized tax breaks for wealthy people and corporations.
- Gallucci emphasized taxes, trade schools and business development. He proposed a business incubator and called for balancing the federal budget and reducing waste.
Iran and presidential power
Both said Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons.
Irwin criticized the war’s planning, cost and lack of an exit strategy, and said Congress should exercise its authority over war. Gallucci defended Trump’s approach and supported the effort to defeat Iran’s regime.
Irwin also identified fighting corruption and ending congressional insider trading as priorities.
Guns, voter ID and the billionaire tax
Both supported background checks and red flag laws. Irwin emphasized federal legislation and removing guns from people prohibited from possessing them. Gallucci emphasized mental health and enforcement.
They differed on Proposition 39’s voter-identification requirements: Gallucci supported them; Irwin opposed them.
Both opposed Proposition 40’s proposed billionaire wealth tax.
ASSEMBLY, DISTRICT 42: Deborah Klein Lopez (D) and Ted Nordblum (R)
This is also an open seat because Irwin is running for Congress.
Affordability and electricity bills
- Klein Lopez emphasized insurance, utilities, health care and housing costs, connecting some of those pressures to wildfire risk and federal policy.
- Nordblum said he would start with a gas-tax cut and argued that taxes, fees and regulations make California too expensive.
They also disputed why electricity bills have risen. Nordblum criticized the cost of Clean Power Alliance’s renewable tier. Klein Lopez pointed to Southern California Edison’s delivery charges.
For CPA customers, those are separate parts of the bill: CPA buys the electricity, while Edison charges to deliver it.
Wildfire prevention and rebuilding
Klein Lopez emphasized home hardening and described Agoura Hills’ efforts to streamline rebuilding after Woolsey.
Nordblum called for brush clearing, controlled burns and fewer permitting and environmental-review hurdles during recovery.
Immigration
Klein Lopez supported a path to citizenship for longtime residents and criticized ICE’s current conduct.
Nordblum called for repealing SB 54, arguing that allowing ICE to take custody of people at local jails would reduce enforcement in neighborhoods. SB 54 limits local cooperation with ICE but already permits certain transfers involving serious criminal convictions.
Housing and energy
Both criticized Sacramento’s control over local housing decisions.
Klein Lopez wanted more local say and state funding to support required growth, while cautioning against dense development in very high fire-risk areas. Nordblum opposed state housing mandates and favored building new communities.
On energy, Klein Lopez supported expanding clean energy. Nordblum favored maintaining in-state oil production and criticized wind and solar.
ALSO COVERED: Camarillo City Council, Districts 1, 2 and 5
The seven council candidates discussed smaller homes, first-time buyer assistance, employer recruitment, homelessness and airport noise.
Several supported more housing options and buyer assistance. They differed on how actively the city should recruit employers and how to address homelessness. Candidates broadly opposed airport expansion, while David Tennessen left room for increased activity if the FAA approves an alternate flight path protecting affected neighborhoods.
Which proposal would you want a candidate to explain in more detail before you vote?
Full reports from all three forums, plus the election guide and sample-ballot lookup, are in the first comment.
