6 file for Kern’s open supervisor seat
Winner to serve remainder of Scrivner’s term on board
Six candidates submitted paperwork last week to run for the suddenly vacant District 2 seat on the Kern County Board of Supervisors.
Last Friday was the deadline for candidates to file for the November election, and with the vacancy came a flood of last-minute filings.
KERN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Six candidates filed papers for the District 2 supervisor’s seat — vacated recently by Zack Scrivner, who’d been absent from Board of Supervisors meetings and duties since April — and the winner will fill out the remainder of Scrivner’s term until 2026.
Candidates who filed for the District 2 supervisors seat are: Dale Cisneros, who listed himself as a businessman, farmer and father; Ben Dewell, who listed himself as a board director and scientist; Pete Graff, who listed himself as a federal watch commander; Kelly Lee Carden Jr., listed as director RMAC; Bernita Jenkins, listed as retired; and former Bakersfield Councilman Chris Parlier.
The District 5 supervisor seat is also on the ballot, and incumbent Leticia Perez will face off against Kimberly Salas.
Because Supervisors Phillip Peters and David Couch won more than 50% of the vote in the March primary, they are automatically reelected to their seats and their names will not appear on the November ballot.
BAKERSFIELD CITY COUNCIL
Three seats on the Bakersfield City Council are up for election: Wards 2, 5 and 6.
Ward 2’s incumbent, City Councilman Andrae Gonzales, who also serves as vice mayor, filed for re-election; small-business owner Michael Cardenas filed to challenge him.
Incumbents for Wards 5 and 6, Bruce Freeman and Patty Gray, respectively, did not file for reelection. Freeman announced last month he would not seek reelection and endorsed Larry Koman, and Gray confirmed to The Californian on Tuesday she would not run again for her seat.
Koman was the only candidate to file for Ward 5 as of Friday. In Ward 6, three candidates filed: Zachary Bashirtash, Imelda Ceja and Tom Webster, who were all listed by the city as certified candidates.
Because the incumbents in the Ward 5 and 6 races did not file for reelection, the deadline to file for those seats has been extended to 5 p.m. today.
CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY
In the California Assembly, 35th District Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains, a Democrat, will face off against Republican candidate Robert Rosas, a business owner and board member of the Kern County Young Republicans.
The 32nd District seat, which covers portions of Kern and Tulare counties, has been vacant since Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, won a special election to fill out the remainder of Kevin McCarthy’s term in the House of Representatives after McCarthy resigned early.
The California Secretary of State’s Office said Tuesday that Fong’s name will still appear as a candidate for the 32nd District even as Fong runs for Congress. Fong has thrown his support behind Bakersfield City Councilman Ken Weir, who came in second in the primary as a write-in candidate.
Fong and Weir are the only eligible candidates for the 32nd District seat. According to the Secretary of State’s office, no new write-in candidates will be eligible in the general election.
As to what would happen if Fong were elected to both the California Assembly seat and the U.S. House of Representatives, the Secretary of State’s office said Tuesday it could not comment at this time.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fong is running for the full term for the 20th District seat. In the May special election, he won to fill the remainder of McCarthy’s term. Fong’s opponent in the special election, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, announced in July he was suspending his campaign for the full term and endorsing Fong, though as the second-place vote-getter in the primary, his name will appear on the November ballot.
In the 22nd District, Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, will face off against former Assemblyman Rudy Salas, a Democrat. Valadao defeated Salas in the 2022 election in a fairly close race and Democrats see the seat as vulnerable. Democratic super PAC House Majority Pac promised in April to allocate $1.7 million to the Bakersfield portion of the 22nd District.
Valadao has served in Congress since 2021 and served in the California Assembly from 2010 to 2012.