Jackson confident before debate, while Strickland lands endorsement from co-host

While state Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) spends his time up north campaigning in the 4th Congressional District, the race to fill his seat takes center stage Friday night, when Republican Tony Strickland will face off against Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson in the first televised debate of the campaign.
 
The debate will be co-hosted by the public-access cable station, CAPS-TV, and the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Strickland on Monday. While Jackson accepted the debate offer before the co-host endorsed her opponent, she "has no problem debating Tony wherever he is," according to campaign manager Sandra Sanchez.
 
Matt Guthrie, communications director for Strickland's campaign, acknowledged the friendly turf, but noted that the forum will cover a broad range of topics. Jackson, however, is eager to take on business issues.
 
"Hannah-Beth is the only candidate in the race that was actually a small business owner," said Sanchez. "We're eager to actually talk about that."
 
The debate will be broadcast live on CAPS-TV Friday night, and will be re-run throughout the month of October.