CA-26,  Julia Brownley,  Linda Parks,  Tony Strickland

CA-26: Democrat Rep Brad Sherman is OUT and Assemblywoman Julia Brownley Is IN

California Assemblywoman Julia Brownley

Well, the rumors have born some fruit with California Assemblywoman Julia Brownley announcing over the long President’s Holiday weekend that she will run for Congress. Rep. Brad Sherman had coincidentally announced that he was remaining in CA-30 to duke it out with fellow Democrat Rep. Howard Berman for that Congressional seat.

Brownley lives in Santa Monica, but told Timm Herdt of the Ventura County Star that she would rent an apartment in Oak Park (unincorporated, Ventura County, but in CA-26) yesterday.

Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, stepping in after Supervisor Steve Bennett dropped out last week, said Sunday she will be a Democratic candidate in Ventura County’s new 26th Congressional District.

Brownley, who lives in Santa Monica, has represented much of Ventura County in the Assembly for the past five years. Her district includes Port Hueneme, about half of Oxnard, Westlake Village and Oak Park — areas that make up about 16 percent of the congressional district.

Brownley said she will move to an apartment in Oak Park this week.

Most, if not all of CA-26 is in Ventura County and Democrat Brownley, while she represented Oxnard and Port Hueneme in the California Assembly is from Santa Monica in Los Angeles County. Her carpetbagger status (renting an apartment, in order to run for office in the Congressional District – although federal law allows non-resident candidacy, in any case) will be an issue.

With Ventura County Supervisor Steve benefit precipitously withdrawing from the race, there was a Democratic Party void (i.e. a well known Democratic POL candidate) and apparently Brownley will fill it.

Now, whether Brownley can beat Thousand Oaks based Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks and/or Republican California State Senator Tony Strickland in the June primary election (remember the top two advance to the November general election) is another story. Plus, there are other Democrats in the race which may dilute the Democratic vote.

Here are all of the candidates – so far (filing opened Monday, February 13 and will close on March 9):

  • Republican California State Senator Tony Strickland
  • Independent/Republican Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks
  • Democrat Moorpark Councilman David Pollock
  • Democrat Oxnard Harbor Commissioner Jess Herrera
  • Democrat Westlake Village businessman David Cruz Thayne
  • Libertarian/Republican Akiva Werbalowsky
  • Democrat California Assemblywoman Julia Brownley

Tony Strickland remains the front-runner in this race.