California Fifth Congressional District candidate Michael Masuda held a town hall gathering this past week in Oakdale.

“Voters in the 5th District are tired of being overlooked by Washington,” said Masuda, a Democrat who is challenging Tom McClintock for the Congressional seat. “We have to be able to have conversations across the aisle and find common ground if we want to address the challenges we’re facing. It doesn’t matter if you vote red or blue – I am here to show up, answer the tough questions, and work for you.”

Candidate for State Senate District 4, Jaron Brandon, joined as a guest speaker.

The open-format forum allowed community members of all political affiliations to ask questions directly and gain perspective from both the federal and state level. The conversation heavily focused on localized economic concerns, including the ramifications for electricity rates and water supply if AI datacenter projects are approved.

Incumbent Representative McClintock was invited by the Masuda campaign to join the stage but did not attend the Sept. 11 session in Oakdale.