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
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