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Jacqui Irwin, CA-26 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

May 4, 2026

Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

Name: Jacqui Irwin

Current job title: Assemblymember, District 42

Age: 64

Political party affiliation: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Other political positions held: Assemblymember, 12 years; Thousand Oaks City Council, 10 years

City where you reside: Thousand Oaks

Campaign website or social media: JacquiIrwin.com

From voter ID to war powers and from immigration to tariffs, Congress has tackled many issues over the past year. What do you, though, see as the top three issues impacting Californians, and what specifically could you do as a lawmaker to address these issues? (Please answer in 250 words or less, and keep your response to future proposals.)

Affordability: reducing the effect of rising prices and unpredictable economic pressures on Americans must be the top priority. We need to make peoples’ paychecks go farther by reducing the price of housing, energy, and food. I will continue to fight high costs of electricity bills through policies that hold polluters accountable and reduce rates for Californians. Further, I will ensure that tax reductions from HR 1 that will be given to utilities will be passed on to ratepayers and not their shareholders.

Fighting to maintain our democracy and civil rights: Under the Republican leadership, Congress refuses to stand up to Trump, even to assert its constitutional authority. The result is a wildly unaccountable presidency that floods our streets with untrained and unqualified masked troops who kill citizens, stumbles unprepared into wars without clear goals that drive up costs and destabilize the globe, imposes archaic and counterproductive economic policies, and frankly degrades the dignity and legitimacy of the presidency.

Healthcare costs and access: The draconian cuts to health care and the resulting spike in costs and loss of access are a disgrace, as was the haphazard and uninformed way Trump and the Republican Congress went about making them. Millions will suffer needlessly for this performative cruelty, and I will fight to restore and improve access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans.

Speaking of voter ID, the president has implored Congress to approve legislation that would require people to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. What role do you believe the federal government plays in telling states how to conduct their own elections, as dictated by the U.S. Constitution? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

California and other states have demonstrated repeatedly that our elections are secure and that only citizens are voting. This is a solution in search of a problem and will only disenfranchise voters and drive down civic participation. The Constitution makes it clear that states are responsible for conducting elections, not the federal government.

What, in your opinion, should the federal government focus on when it comes to immigration policy? For example, do you place a priority on border security, visas for high-skilled workers, refuge for asylum seekers, etc., and why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Immigration policy in the US is broken and in need of modernization and reform. Of course, we need a secure border, but we don’t need roving bands of masked agents terrorizing our communities. Immigration reform should be just that – reform. Our country is great because we accept those willing to work hard and sacrifice to succeed. That is the secret to our success, and we need to continue to foster it in a legal and logical way. Slamming the door on everyone but immigrants from South Africa is not the answer.

It’s been over a year since Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the federal government for supplemental disaster aid to help Southern California communities rebuild after the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires, but neither President Donald Trump nor Congress has acted. What would you do to push for the funding, besides writing letters to the Trump administration or the leaders of Congress? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Withholding federal disaster funds and playing political games with this desperately needed aid is unacceptable. Recent reports showed Trump withholding disaster aid only from Democratic states. This is perverse and cruel, and helping Americans in times of need shouldn’t depend on partisan registration. Congress needs to stand up and hold the president accountable and demand that Americans in need are treated like Americans, and not Democrats or Republicans.

Do you support a ban or restriction on congressional lawmakers and their families from buying or selling individual stocks? Why or why not? And what would you propose to ensure lawmakers aren’t using their positions to engage in insider trading? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Yes, it is clear, now more than ever, that both Congress and the president should be banned from trading individual stocks. Elected officials should never use their positions to enrich themselves.

Do you support stronger regulations on pollution and carbon emissions? If so, how would you ensure those regulations aren’t overly burdensome on small businesses or lower-income families? And if not, how do you propose lawmakers protect the environment and curtail the impacts of climate change? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Yes, in fact, last year I passed legislation that balances California’s climate ambitions with affordability. Under the new law, funding from polluters will be used to lower electricity bills during the four months when bills are highest. This change will particularly assist low-income families and small businesses. California has made significant progress lowering our carbon emissions, and we must demonstrate that it can be done without significant economic impacts; otherwise, other states and countries will not follow.

President Donald Trump has significantly increased spending for the U.S. Department of Defense. Would you, as a member of Congress, approve additional dollars for the military if the president were to ask for more funding? How would you ensure that any military spending does not end up putting the American people or national security in harm’s way? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Additional funding for the military should only be approved if it covers a demonstrated need with a clear plan for how the additional funding will protect Americans and our servicemen and women. Currently, the chaos we are witnessing from Trump is making us less safe, and Americans deserve better if they are being asked for more of their tax dollars to be spent on Trump’s poorly planned and wasteful wars.

Under what specific circumstances do you believe the U.S. should engage in a war? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Protecting our national security is non-negotiable. It must be done strategically and wisely, using diplomacy and by working with our allies. War should only be used as a last resort when there is an imminent threat to Americans.

Do you believe a president should seek congressional approval before engaging in military action overseas? Why, or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Americans deserve to know that military action is being used wisely and strategically. A president’s power is not unlimited, and the current Congress is unwilling to question Trump’s wars, which is why a change is needed, and more congressional oversight is essential.

Congress, in theory, is supposed to serve as a check on the president through budgetary, legislative and oversight powers. Do you believe Congress has fulfilled that obligation during the past two administrations, with one being a Democrat and the other a Republican? Why or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The current Congress has completely deferred its powers to the president. The sheer number of executive orders tells the story. In four years, the Biden administration issued 162 executive orders. In just over a year, Trump has issued nearly 250 executive orders. Congress needs to assert its constitutional authority before our country descends even further into chaos and restore the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches.

Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Should Congress adopt such restrictions? If so, what specific restrictions do you propose? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Congress should consider restrictions on social media and phone use in schools.

Statistically, violent crime rates in California are on the decline, yet residents still don’t feel safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in Congress in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

One of the core functions of any level of government is public safety. Congress should be supporting local law enforcement, so they have the tools to make Californians feel safe.

There are term limits to serve in the California Legislature, but none to serve in Congress. Would you advocate for term limits for House members? Why or why not? If you support term limits, how many years maximum should a House member be allowed to serve? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

There is a benefit to bringing in new perspectives, so if term limits are considered, they must balance the need for expertise with the benefit of new ideas. As we saw in California in the 2000s, term limits can lead to less expertise and oversight in the legislative branch and more power in the bureaucracy and the executive branch, which is concerning.

What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I speak Dutch!

Orange County Register

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Jacqui Irwin, CA-26 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire

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