Residents of California’s 42nd Assembly district – covering Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Malibu, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley and parts of Camarillo – will head to the polls on Nov. 3 to decide who will succeed Democrat Jacqui Irwin, who is running for Congress.
Candidate backgrounds
Republican Ted Nordblum is a Ventura‑County medical‑device business owner who has challenged Irwin twice before, in 2022 and 2024, without success. This will be his third attempt to win the seat.
Democrat Deborah Klein Lopez serves as Mayor Pro Tem of Agoura Hills and is making her first foray into state politics.
Immigration enforcement
When asked whether they support allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to work with local law enforcement to apprehend criminals, Nordblum answered, “I would continue with the ICE things. We have criminals that rape our children, our women… I’m not talking about the dreamers and the DACA, I’m talking about the illegal immigrants that are basically just here to create havoc and chaos.”
Lopez called for new “guardrails” on ICE, describing the agency as “out of control” and “not well trained.” She said, “ICE in its current format is really terrorizing our communities and tearing families apart… I’m all for border control and normal guardrails to keep violent criminals out, but what’s happening now is the targeting of innocent families.”
Climate policy
Lopez linked recent wildfires, including the Palisades Fire, to climate change and urged California to do more to combat it.
Nordblum acknowledged that climate change has occurred over millions of years but framed the current California climate agenda as a political “agenda.” He dismissed solar power as a “$10 trillion boondoggle” and emphasized the nation’s reliance on petroleum, saying, “You need oil. Getting rid of it is not going to change things like that.”
Gun legislation
Lopez recalled the 2018 mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in neighboring Thousand Oaks, noting that a gun‑violence restraining order could have saved lives. She described herself as a “big believer in responsible, reasonable gun violence reduction laws.”
Nordblum, a concealed‑carry permit holder, affirmed his belief in the Second Amendment, stating, “I’ve been shooting guns since I was 10… The laws we have right now are okay. The gun laws change from time to time, it just goes with whoever is in power at the moment. I believe in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.”
Election context
Irwin, who has served the maximum six terms allowed under California’s term‑limits law, is now running for the 26th Congressional District against Republican Sam Gallucci after Rep. Julia Brownley’s retirement. The open Assembly seat sets the stage for a competitive contest that reflects broader state debates over immigration enforcement, climate action, and gun safety.
Both candidates will continue to campaign across the district, with the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women hosting a forum on Oct. 1 in the Thousand Oaks City Council chambers.
Original reporting: Thousand Oaks Acorn — read the source article.
