Irwin, Klein Lopez lead field in key June 2 primaries
Klein Lopez Advances to November General Election
Agoura Hills City Councilmember Deborah Klein Lopez secured a commanding victory in the June 2 primary election for Assembly District 42, positioning herself as the frontrunner for November's general election, according to early returns.
Klein Lopez captured 49.7% of the vote with 50,530 ballots cast, falling just short of an outright majority. Republican businessman Ted Nordblum of Newbury Park finished second with 27.4% (27,783 votes), securing his place in the November runoff under California's top-two primary system.
Unofficial results from county election offices showed Republican Simi Valley City Councilmember Rocky Rhodes in third place with 22.9% (23,267 votes), eliminating him from the November contest.
Newbury Park's Nordblum Advances Despite Third-Place 2022 Finish
Nordblum, who operates Titan Medical in nearby Thousand Oaks, successfully advanced to the general election after failing to make the runoff in his 2022 Assembly bid. The former Operating Engineers Union member built his campaign around public safety concerns and opposition to state tax policies.
"I'm the only candidate for Assembly who is running to protect Prop 13, cut gas taxes, support our law enforcement officers," Nordblum stated in campaign materials. His entry into politics was motivated by his brother's fentanyl overdose death in November 2021.
Political observers had identified the Republican vote split between Nordblum and Rhodes as a key factor that could determine whether a Republican would advance to the general election.
District 42 Spans Two Counties, Includes Newbury Park
The 42nd Assembly District encompasses communities across western Los Angeles and eastern Ventura counties, including Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, and portions of Camarillo.
Klein Lopez performed strongly in both county portions, capturing 49.21% in Ventura County and 50.85% in Los Angeles County. Nordblum's support was more concentrated in Ventura County, where he received 26.93% compared to 28.22% in the Los Angeles County portion.
The race was dramatically reshaped when Westlake Village City Councilmember Kelly Honig was disqualified from the ballot in late March for filing her candidacy papers in the wrong county, leaving Klein Lopez as the sole Democrat in the race.
Vote Counting Continues, Results Not Final Until July
County elections officials have until July 2 to complete their final counts, with the California Secretary of State scheduled to certify results on July 10. Vote-by-mail ballots, provisional ballots, and other categories continue to be processed during this canvass period.
Early results include approximately 5.6 million ballots processed statewide, with an estimated 3.6 million outstanding ballots remaining to be counted across California.
November General Election Set for November 3
The Klein Lopez-Nordblum matchup sets up a contest between a progressive Democrat with institutional party backing and a Republican business owner appealing to voters concerned about crime and economic issues. The race will help determine whether Democrats maintain their legislative supermajority in Sacramento.
Assembly District 42 was redrawn following redistricting and is being vacated by term-limited Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, who won her own primary for Congress on the same ballot. The November 3 general election will determine Irwin's successor to represent the district's diverse communities from the coast to the valleys.
Reported by 805.life
Researched and written drawing on primary sources. Additional reporting: Thousand Oaks Acorn (Newbury Park).
City
Newbury ParkAdditional Reporting
Thousand Oaks Acorn (Newbury Park)Published
June 4, 2026
Reported and written by 805.life
Explore Newbury ParkAll Newbury Park NewsMore News from Newbury Park
Newbury ParkCounty elections chief encourages early voting
Ventura County's top elections official has a simple message for Newbury Park voters: don't wait until Nov. 3. Clerk-Recorder Michelle Ascencion says we should treat Election Day as the deadline, not the day to cast a ballot — and honestly, that's solid advice for our corner of the 805. Between commutes on the 101, school pickups, and everything else filling our calendars, a last-minute trip to the polls is exactly the kind of thing that slips through the cracks. Voting early gives you room to sort out any surprises — a missing registration, an address mix-up, a question about your ballot — without the pressure of a ticking clock. The Thousand Oaks Acorn (Newbury Park) flagged the reminder this week, and it's worth passing along to neighbors who might be new to the area or simply out of the habit. However you lean, the point is to make your voice count. So carve out twenty minutes this week, get it done, and then enjoy the rest of your fall without that nagging to-do hanging over you.
Newbury ParkRabies surge puts bats in spotlight
If you've noticed more bats flitting around your porch light lately, you're not imagining things — and there's a serious reason to keep your distance. Los Angeles and Ventura counties are reporting a surge in rabies cases among bats, with infected animals turning up in several nearby cities. Health officials are urging folks to never touch a bat, and to call it in if one is found indoors, flying around during daylight, or looking sick. The timing, right as spooky season kicks off, is a reminder that the real-life version of a Halloween staple deserves our respect, not our hands. This matters right here in Newbury Park, where our open space, oak woodlands, and warm evenings make perfect bat habitat. The Thousand Oaks Acorn reports the warning arrived around World Rabies Day on Sept. 28, and it's worth taking seriously — rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear, but it's fully preventable if you avoid contact and get care quickly after any exposure. Keep pets vaccinated, teach kids that a bat on the ground is not a toy, and if you find one in your home, don't shoo it out yourself — call Ventura County Animal Services. Let's keep our neighborhood safe and let the bats do their mosquito-eating work from a distance.
Newbury ParkLawsuit over La Reina school closing can proceed
Neighbors, you may remember the shock when La Reina High School and Middle School shut its doors more than two years ago. Now comes word that a lawsuit challenging how that closure went down can finally move forward. A Ventura County Superior Court judge cleared a key legal hurdle, allowing former students, parents and donors to keep pursuing claims that the school and its parent organization, SND National Ministry Corporation, concealed plans. For so many families here in Newbury Park and across the Conejo Valley, La Reina wasn't just a school — it was a community, a tradition, a place where daughters grew up together. The closure left a real hole, and a lot of unanswered questions. This ruling doesn't decide the case, but it means those questions will get their day in court. The Thousand Oaks Acorn (Newbury Park) first reported the development. We'll keep following it as the case proceeds, because for local families who gave years — and dollars — to La Reina, this one matters.