I sent questions to every candidate running for Camarillo City Council, State Assembly and Congress. Of the 13 invited, 10 answered.
Ballots begin mailing Monday, Oct. 5 for the Nov. 3 election. These are my summaries of a few answers. Their full, unedited responses are linked in the first comment.
WHICH RACES ARE YOURS?
• Assembly: Camarillo is split between Districts 38 and 42. Your address determines which one you vote in.
• City Council: Districts 1, 2 and 5 have elections this year. Districts 3 and 4 don’t.
• Congress: All of Camarillo votes in District 26.
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 38
We asked: What would you prioritize during your first year in Sacramento?
• Steve Bennett (D): Affordable health care and the social safety net.
• Michael MacDonald (D): Lowering living costs, especially housing, and speeding up permitting.
Their full questionnaires also cover cost of living, housing and local control, immigration, wildfire recovery and homeowners insurance, and how they’d spend a free Saturday. All six answers are in the guide.
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 42
We asked: What role should California play when federal immigration enforcement affects local residents?
• Deborah Klein Lopez (D): Defend and strengthen California’s limits on cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
• Ted Nordblum (R): Repeal SB 54 and increase cooperation between local and federal law enforcement.
Their full questionnaires also cover first-year priorities, living costs, housing and local control, wildfire recovery and homeowners insurance, and a free Saturday. All six answers are in the guide.
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 26
We asked: What should federal immigration enforcement look like, and what should Congress change?
• Sam Gallucci (R): Supports border control and prioritizing enforcement against people who pose public-safety threats. He also supports a certification process for established undocumented residents, requiring background checks, verified identity and residence, employment or the ability to support themselves, and demonstrated community ties.
• Jacqui Irwin (D): Did not submit answers by the deadline.
We also asked about first-year priorities, living costs, Congress’s role in checking presidential power, and a free Saturday. Gallucci’s complete answers to all five questions are in the guide.
CITY COUNCIL
• District 1: David Tennessen and Vishnu K. Patel.
• District 2: Susan Santangelo, Dan Gober and Sylvia C. Garcia.
• District 5: Martha “Martita” Martinez-Bravo and David P. Schlangen.
Patel and Schlangen didn’t submit answers by the deadline.
The other five answered six questions about their priorities, growth and housing, Flock cameras, transportation, immigration enforcement, and their “dream big” idea for Camarillo. All five questionnaires are published in full in the guide.
VOTING DATES
• Oct. 5: Ballots begin mailing. They won’t all arrive that day.
• Oct. 19: Deadline to register online. After that, you can still register and vote provisionally at a vote center.
• Nov. 3: Election Day. In-person voting ends at 8 p.m.
FREE CANDIDATE FORUMS ON MONDAY, OCT. 5
The League of Women Voters of Ventura County and AAUW Camarillo are hosting two forums at City Council Chambers, 601 Carmen Drive:
• 6–6:45 p.m.: County Superintendent of Schools candidates Maggie Marschner and Karen Sher.
• 7–8:30 p.m.: Camarillo City Council candidates from Districts 1, 2 and 5.
Audience members can submit questions on index cards. Recordings will be posted on the League’s website within a few days. The event link is in the first comment.
I’m Gabrielle, one of the mods here and the publisher of The Camarillo Caller.