By Lookout Staff

February 21, 2012 -- Democratic Assembly member Julia Brownley, who made headlines fighting against plastic bags and for greater financial disclosure in campaign ads, will run for the 26th Congressional District.

Brownley, who is termed out of the Asembley seat, has the endorsement of Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett, who unexpectedly dropped out of the June 5 primary earlier this month.

Brownley's opponents are Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks, a Republican who may run as unaffiliated, Republican State Sen. Tony Strickland of Moorpark, and four other Democrats.

Announcing his decision to drop out of the race, Bennet said he worried that the four Democrats could split the vote and leave two Republicans in the November general election under the state's new "top-two" primary system.

The seat -- eyed by Democrats seeking to regain control of the U.S. House -- became vacant when GOP Rep. Elton Gallegly said she would not seek re-election in the newly drawn district.

Bennett, who is returning the $200,000 he raised in contributions, said he believes Brownley, a Santa Monica resident, can be a unifying force.

"Because she has a proven track record in terms of both fundraising and representing parts of the district, people will have confidence that she has the organizational strength behind her to unify at least the vast majority of Democratic voters," Bennet told the Ventura County Star.

A former member of the Santa Monica-Mailbu School Board, Brownley will likely be painted by her Democratic opponents as being out of touch with the more conservative district, which includes nearly all of Ventura County.

Brownley responded to the criticism by saying that she shares the values of Ventura County constituents, many of whom she has been representing since 2006.