Meet the Candidates : 24th Congressional District

Incumbent Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills) has decided to retire from Congress, leaving a wide-open race for his seat. Republican Rich Sybert is going head-to-head with Democrat Brad Sherman. Also running are Libertarian Erich Miller, Ron Lawrence of the Natural Law Party and Ralph Shroyer of the Peace and Freedom Party. Ron Lawrence Age: 70 Occupation: Physician / administrator Residence: Malibu Party: Natural Law Education: Bachelor's degree in zoology and master's degree in physiology from New York University, and medical degree from UC Irvine Background: A practicing physician for 43 years, Lawrence has been a longtime advocate for alternative health care. He was one of the nation's first medical doctors to use acupuncture. He is an assistant clinical professor at the Neuropsychiatric Institute at the UCLA School of Medicine and runs a small nonprofit institute that finances research on Alzheimer's disease.