Two look to fill Irwin’s shoes for Assembly District 42

Thousand Oaks voters will help decide who succeeds longtime Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin this November, as Republican Ted Nordblum and Democrat Deborah Klein Lopez compete for the California Assembly District 42 seat Irwin has held since 2014.

The Nov. 3 general election matchup pits Nordblum, a medical-device business owner making his third run for the seat, against Klein Lopez, the mayor pro tem of Agoura Hills who is entering state politics for the first time. The Thousand Oaks Acorn, which first reported on the candidates' stark policy differences, noted that the district includes Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Malibu, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley and parts of Camarillo.

The seat is open because Irwin, a Democrat and former Thousand Oaks City Council member and mayor, has served all six terms permitted under California's term limits law. She is now running for the 26th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Julia Brownley, facing Republican Sam Gallucci. Nordblum previously ran against Irwin in 2022 and 2024, losing both times.

Sharp Differences on Display at Forum

The contrasts between the two candidates were on full display at an Oct. 1 candidate forum co-hosted by the Ventura County League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women's Thousand Oaks Branch, held in the Thousand Oaks City Council chambers. Moderator David Maron posed questions submitted by audience members on some of the most contested issues in the race.

On immigration, Nordblum said he would continue supporting cooperation between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local law enforcement, drawing a distinction between long-resident groups such as Dreamers and DACA recipients and undocumented immigrants he characterized as being "here to create havoc and chaos."

Klein Lopez called for new "guardrails" on the federal agency, describing ICE as "out of control" and arguing that its current enforcement activity is "terrorizing our communities and tearing families apart," affecting local schools and businesses. She said she supports border control and keeping violent criminals off the streets but opposes what she described as the targeting of innocent families.

Climate and Energy Policy Divide

The candidates also split sharply on climate policy, an issue with particular resonance in a district that has experienced major wildfires in recent years.

Klein Lopez pointed to the Palisades Fire and other blazes as evidence that climate-driven disasters are occurring more frequently, arguing California should do more to combat climate change, not less. She cited the state's shift off fossil fuels as having reduced greenhouse gas emissions and said clean energy infrastructure should continue to expand despite pushback from the Trump administration.

Nordblum took a different view, saying climate has changed naturally for millions of years and pointing to past ice ages. He argued that current climate policy in California reflects a deliberate agenda — "You control the water, you control the food, you control the population" — and called solar power "a $10 trillion boondoggle that failed." He also emphasized petroleum's ubiquity in everyday products, from clothing to electronics.

Gun Laws and the Borderline Legacy

Perhaps the most emotionally charged exchange of the forum came on gun policy, where Klein Lopez invoked the 2018 mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, which killed 12 people. She noted she was elected to the Agoura Hills City Council just one day before the shooting, according to the Acorn's coverage.

"If the gun violence restraining order that is now in place in California had been in place before Borderline, it could have possibly saved 12 lives," Klein Lopez said, describing herself as a supporter of "responsible, reasonable gun violence reduction laws."

Nordblum, who holds a permit to carry a concealed firearm, said he has been shooting since age 10 and believes in the Second Amendment. He said the state's current gun laws are "okay" but noted such laws "change from time to time, it just goes with whoever is in power at the moment," adding that he views the Constitution and Bill of Rights as absolute.

What's at Stake for Thousand Oaks

The outcome will shape representation for a district that has been represented by a moderate Democrat for over a decade. Irwin, whose local roots run deep — she served on the Thousand Oaks City Council before heading to Sacramento — built a reputation focused on issues such as wildfire preparedness, education and consumer protection. Her departure, coupled with her congressional bid, means local voters are weighing two very different visions for the district's next chapter in Sacramento.

For Thousand Oaks residents, the practical stakes include the state's approach to wildfire mitigation and insurance, school funding, housing policy and public safety — all issues where the two candidates have signaled fundamentally different philosophies.

Voters can learn more through the Ventura County League of Women Voters, which co-hosted the Oct. 1 forum and publishes nonpartisan voter guides ahead of each election. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The race is one of several contests on local ballots this fall, alongside the 26th Congressional District race to succeed Brownley. Residents can verify their registration and find polling information through the Ventura County Elections Division before the November vote.