It’s off to Washington for Jacqui Irwin

Thousand Oaks is sending one of its own to Washington. Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, a former Thousand Oaks mayor and longtime local officeholder, won the Nov. 3 election to represent California's 26th Congressional District, defeating Republican Sam Gallucci 62% to 38%, according to the Thousand Oaks Acorn.

With 71% of precincts reporting, Irwin had drawn 103,007 votes to Gallucci's 64,050 — a comfortable margin that keeps the seat in Democratic hands following the retirement of Rep. Julia Brownley, who represented the region in Congress for nearly 14 years and endorsed Irwin as her successor.

For Thousand Oaks residents, the win means continuity: Irwin has represented the community in some capacity for more than two decades, first on the City Council starting in 2004, then in the state Assembly since 2014, and now at the federal level. Gallucci, an Oxnard pastor and nonprofit leader, conceded in a race that was never particularly close.

A victory party on Tarantula Hill

Irwin celebrated the result Tuesday evening at a campaign watch party at Tarantula Hill Brewing in Thousand Oaks, where she and supporters — including Nancy Frawley and Terri Lisagor — reacted with glee as returns arrived, the Acorn reported. Photographer Michael Coons captured the scene for the newspaper.

In her remarks, Irwin reflected on her path into public life, which began not with ambition but with a youth football team.

"As the daughter of immigrants and the first in my family to earn a college degree, the opportunity to serve this community, a community I love so deeply, is an extraordinary honor and one I never take for granted," Irwin said.

She recalled that her entry into local politics came more than 20 years ago, when she worked with then-Councilmember Andy Fox to secure grant funding for the Titans youth football team. "What began more than 20 years ago as a commitment to improving our local football fields has evolved into a lifelong dedication to solving problems, advocating for others, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people we serve," she said. "First, in our local community, then across our state, and now at the national level."

At the watch party, Irwin told the Acorn she originally ran for City Council "not as somebody wanting to have the position of power — I ran because I wanted to make a difference for our community. I wanted to solve problems and that was really the beginning of my political career. I had no interest in politics; I wanted to serve my community."

From City Council to the statehouse to D.C.

Irwin's résumé is deeply rooted in the Conejo Valley. Elected to the Thousand Oaks City Council in 2004, she served two terms as mayor before winning a state Assembly seat in 2014. After redistricting, she has represented the 42nd Assembly District since 2022, and she reached the Assembly's six-term limit this year — making the congressional run a natural next step rather than a departure from local roots.

Before holding office, Irwin worked as an engineer at Teledyne Systems and at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory. She holds a bachelor's degree in systems engineering from UC San Diego — a technical background she carried into the Legislature, where she chaired committees on Military and Veterans Affairs and Revenue and Taxation, and currently chairs the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies and the Assembly Select Committee on Cybersecurity.

The 26th District she will now represent encompasses most of Ventura County — including Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Camarillo — along with portions of Los Angeles County, including Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village.

What she says she'll tackle first

Irwin told the Acorn her "day one" priorities in Congress will include pursuing accountability for what she described as "corruption in the federal government" and addressing the causes of the high cost of living. She also said she would focus on continuing to provide resources to her constituents — a hallmark of her Assembly service.

Her campaign platform emphasized expanding affordable housing, lowering energy costs, reducing prescription drug and child care expenses, and creating jobs. She also called for greater investment in wildfire prevention — an issue with obvious resonance for Ventura County residents — and comprehensive immigration reform.

What comes next for Thousand Oaks

Irwin's departure from the Assembly creates an opening in the 42nd District, and local political observers will be watching to see who emerges to fill a seat that, like her congressional district, leans Democratic. Her move also marks the end of an era of Brownley's representation; the congresswoman's retirement and endorsement helped clear Irwin's path to the nomination and, ultimately, the seat.

For constituents, the practical question is what changes — and what doesn't. Irwin has built her reputation on constituent services and local problem-solving, from her early work on youth sports fields to legislation on veterans affairs, taxation and cybersecurity in Sacramento. In Washington, she'll face a far more fractious environment, but she framed the transition as a continuation of the same work at a bigger scale.

What's certain is that Thousand Oaks retains a neighbor in Congress. Irwin lives in the city she first served on the City Council more than 20 years ago, and her victory speech made clear she views the new job not as a capstone but as the next chapter of the same commitment.

"I never take for granted" the opportunity, she said — a sentiment echoed by the supporters who gathered with her on election night, a few miles from the football fields where it all began.