BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield city councilmember Manpreet Kaur just made it official, she’s launching her bid for state senate. The twist? She’ll be going head-to-head with a fellow Democratic incumbent, Melissa Hurtado.
This is the bread basket of our state, the nation but in this political moment we have to have strong advocates in every corner of public office," said Kaur.
She currently represents Ward 7. Born and raised in Bakersfield, she is the first Sikh Punjabi woman elected to the city council.
Guillermo Gonzalez is a small business owner, also from Bakersfield. He sent us a statement that reads in part, “I’m running to restore the promise of the Valley so that every family has the opportunity to open a business, buy a home, and put down roots here. I’d be honored to fight for that future alongside you.”
Melissa Hurtado is the incumbent who represents the 16th State Senate District. I reached out to Hurtado’s office for comment, and she sent over a statement that reads in part, “I welcome the conversation, whether it’s with a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, because the goal should always be about more opportunity, more investment, and a stronger, more affordable Valley.”
I reached out to 23ABC political analyst Ian Anderson to learn whether the Democratic vote could be split in this race, and how that might impact the outcome.
“In our top-two primary system, the top two candidates will move on. So it is quite possible that if the top two individuals in this June election are both Democrats, you could see those move on. You could see two Republicans, or one of each," said Anderson.
The high-stakes primary hits on June 2, and early voting kicks off in just over two months.
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