June 2026 Primary Election: WVCBA Endorsements

*This story is updated whenever the WVCBA announces new endorsements in the 2026 primary election.

The mission of the WVCBA's Political Action Committee (PAC) is to seek out, evaluate qualifications of, and endorse candidates for public office who support the ideals of our free enterprise system. The PAC evaluates candidates for local, county and state offices, and hosts candidate forums for local and state elections. The PAC is comprised of current members of the Board of Directors.

California Congressional District 26: Jacqui Irwin
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (42nd District) was first elected to the California State Assembly in 2014. She is seeking to succeed Julia Brownley who, in January, announced that she would retire at the end of her term. District 26 covers portions of Ventura County (Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Moorpark) and portions of LA County (Calabasas, Agoura, Westlake Village).

California State Assembly District 38: Steve Bennett (incumbent)
Assemblymember Steve Bennett was elected in 2020 to represent the 38th district, which covers the western half of Ventura County, including Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and parts of Camarillo. He is a former Ventura County Supervisor and City of Ventura Councilmember, and was a high school economics and American history teacher.

County Races
In a county-level race, a candidate who gets more than 50% of the votes in the primary wins the seat outright. If no candidate earns more than half of the votes, the top two finishers advance to the general election in November.

Camarillo City Council District 1: David Tennessen (incumbent)
David Tennessen is a 46-year resident of Camarillo, a 32-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, former police chief of Camarillo, and the city's current mayor. 

Ventura County Board of Supervisors District 2: Jeff Gorell (incumbent)
WVCBA also endorsed Jeff Gorell in the 2022 election. District 2 includes Thousand Oaks, the Santa Rosa Valley, and parts of eastern and northern Camarillo. 

Ventura County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters: Michelle Ascension (incumbent)
Michelle Ascencion was elected in June 2022 as the Ventura County Clerk and Recorder. She joined the County of Ventura as the Assistant Clerk and Recorder in 2021 and served as City Clerk of the City of Oxnard from 2016-2020.

We encourage every eligible voter to ensure they are registered to vote by May 18 in order to participate in the June 2 primary election. Further, we hope voters do their due diligence and research the candidates and issues prior to heading to the polls.