THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Acorn Newspapers and California Lutheran University are hosting a 26th Congressional District Candidates Forum at 7 p.m. Monday, May 7, in CLU’s Lundring Events Center.

In this closely watched election for the newly drawn congressional district, the top two vote-getters from the June 5 primary will advance to the general election in November. This year is the first time California voters will choose congressional candidates from a single primary ballot rather than selecting nominees for each party.

Six candidates are vying for the chance to represent the district that includes most of Ventura County in the U.S. House of Representatives. The contenders are: Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Oak Park; Ventura real estate agent Albert Maxwell Goldberg, a Democrat; Oxnard Harbor District commissioner Jess Herrera, a Democrat; Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, an independent; Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Moorpark; and Westlake Village businessman David Cruz Thayne, a Democrat. All candidates have been invited and are expected to attend.

John Loesing, managing editor of the Acorn Newspapers, and Herb Gooch, director of CLU’s Masters in Public Policy and Administration Program, will serve as co-moderators. Questions, which will be generated by the Acorn and CLU’s political science department, will focus on key issues of national importance as they relate to the localcommunity, such as job creation, education, immigration and transportation. Questions will also be collected from the audience, and at least one will be asked of the candidates.

Time Warner Cable will record the debate and make it available throughout the region by way of its Video on Demand service.

The forum is free and open to the public. Lundring Events Center is in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center,which is north of Olsen Road near Mountclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus. For more information, contact Gooch at gooch@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3348 or Thousand Oaks Acorn Editor Kyle Jorrey at tonewstip@theacorn.com.