Eyeing an opening in the Assembly, Bakersfield Councilman Gonzales announces run for the 35th District
That seat is currently held by Dr. Jasmeet Bains, a Delano Democrat, who on Wednesday announced she would challenge U.S. Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, for his Congressional seat.
Bains can't run for both Congress and the Assembly; therefore, regardless of the outcome of the 2026 election, she will no longer be serving in the Assembly.
"I am running for State Assembly because I want to help make our communities affordable again, build housing, invest in our schools, and keep communities safe," Gonzales, a Democrat, said in a statement.
"I was born and raised in Kern County, and I'm proud to call it home. I would be honored to fight for the future of our county in the State Assembly," he said.
Gonzales' announcement came with more than 50 endorsements from current and former community leaders. Included in his list of endorsers are fellow Bakersfield City Council members Eric Aris, Manpreet Kaur and Bob Smith, and Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez.
Gonzales was first elected to public office in 2010 when he served on the Bakersfield City School District Board of Education until 2016, when he was elected to the City Council.
Since 2010, Gonzales has worked as CEO of local nonprofit Stewards, which helps manage finances for mentally disabled people deemed incapable of doing so on their own by the Social Security Administration.
As a councilman, Gonzales is extremely active and has spearheaded a number of initiatives for the city, including the formation of the community land trust.
In November, Gonzales was reelected to his Ward 2 council seat by roughly 20 percentage points; his term expires in 2028.
Gonzales briefly ran for the 35th District seat in 2023 — challenging Bains — but suspended his campaign before the primary election.
This story will be updated.
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