Three Candidates Seek Assembly Seat Representing Moorpark, Simi Valley and more
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — Voters in the 42nd Assembly District have their first chance to meet the candidates in person at a public forum on Tuesday, April 28. The event, co-hosted by the League of Women Voters of Ventura County and the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce, runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Moorpark High Street Arts Center, 45 E. High Street, Moorpark.
Three candidates are competing for the open seat, which spans both Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
The 42nd Assembly District covers portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties and includes the cities of Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village. The seat is available because Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, a Democrat from Thousand Oaks, is termed out under Proposition 28's 12-year limit. Irwin, who has represented the district since 2014, is running for Congress to represent California's 26th Congressional District.
The Candidates
Rocky Rhodes is a Simi Valley City Councilmember who has served nearly four years on the council and operates an international supply chain business. According to his campaign website, he has focused on constituent services over partisan politics during his council tenure. Rhodes says his business experience gives him direct insight into how California taxes and trade policies affect small businesses across Ventura and Los Angeles counties. He lives in Simi Valley with his family.
Ted Nordblum, a Thousand Oaks resident, is making his third attempt to win the seat. The Republican small business owner has operated a medical device company in Thousand Oaks for more than 20 years. Nordblum started his career as a union heavy equipment operator in Buffalo, New York, before moving to California and starting his business. He and his wife have lived in the Conejo Valley for over two decades.
Deborah Klein Lopez brings municipal government experience as an Agoura Hills City Councilmember and former mayor. The Democrat was first elected to the Agoura Hills Council in November 2018 and served as mayor from 2021 to 2022. Her current council term runs through December 2026. Klein Lopez graduated from Northwestern University and worked in financial analysis before transitioning to public service, including roles with the California State Senate and Assembly. She grew up in Agoura Hills, where she now lives with her husband and raised their three children.
Public Forums Scheduled
As of April 15, Klein Lopez and Nordblum have confirmed their participation in the April 28 forum, according to league representative David Maron. Rhodes had not yet confirmed his attendance.
The league, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization, does not support or oppose candidates. Residents can submit questions in advance to League@LwvVenturaCounty.org or find more information at my.lwv.org/california/ventura-county.
Additional forums are planned across the county. On April 30, the league will co-host an event at Thousand Oaks City Council Chambers covering races for Ventura County Superintendent of Schools and Ventura County Treasurer/Tax Collector. A May 8 forum at Pacifica High School in Oxnard will focus on the 26th Congressional District race.
The June 2 primary will determine the top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliation. Those two candidates will advance to the November 3 general election.
With the race beginning early, voters across the 42nd District will have multiple opportunities to hear from candidates before deciding who will represent their communities in Sacramento. The April 28 forum in Moorpark offers the first public chance for residents to compare the three candidates side by side.
The winner will represent a district that includes some of Ventura County's largest cities and faces issues ranging from housing development to transportation infrastructure that cross county lines.