BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Two candidates are challenging Melissa Hurtado for the 16th District state Senate seat. Here’s what voters should know about these candidates.
As the primary approaches, candidates are beginning to make their case directly to voters across the Central Valley. I spoke one-on-one with the candidates, who say their priorities range from economic growth to affordability and representation throughout the Valley.
Manpreet Kaur is running for 16th District State Senator, and she says, “It’s time that we make a change for the families here in the Central Valley. Families today are picking between a tank of gas and a gallon of milk, and that is an unfair choice to make and to put on families that are already struggling. We are under-resourced. We are an area that deserves all the love, and Bakersfield and the Central Valley deserve their fair share, and I want to fight for that and be that advocate. It takes courage to make a real change in our community, but business as usual is not cutting it anymore.”
Democratic candidate Manpreet Kaur, a Bakersfield native, says she was raised with the values of hard work and perseverance, and now wants to give back to her community. She took me back to her elementary school in what she describes as a lower-income area of town. She says those early experiences shaped her outlook today, pointing to high prices at the grocery store and gas stations as reasons she wants more accountability in public office.
Republican candidate Guillermo Gonzalez agrees, saying there needs to be more transparency from the current senator.
Guillermo Gonzalez, running for 16th District State Senator, “Well, for one, I think our water issue is a man-made issue. We need to hold more water, we need to start pumping our oil, and we need to drill. There’s no reason why we’re bringing in fuel from any other country — we have it here in California. We’re buying jet fuel from China. We should not be doing that. We have it all here. We can produce and grow our food here. So our farmers, ranchers, drillers — we need to allow them to store our oil, our water, our farmland, and our food. Not some Sacramento bureaucrat who has never picked a field or been out to the Central Valley.”
Guillermo Gonzalez invited me into his family’s restaurant in Delano — a place where he says he learned the ins and outs of the business and restaurant industry, and how local policies impact small businesses like his. He says his family has worked hard for the American dream, but now feels that dream is becoming harder to reach, pointing to rising prices and long-standing leadership in office.
The incumbent Democrat, Melissa Hurtado, has represented California’s 16th state Senate district since 2018. She says some of her proudest accomplishments include funding for the Bakersfield Airport, support for public safety and first responders, as well as investments in water and agriculture. “I’m the one who has the experience. I’m looking out for everybody — it doesn’t matter what your party preference is. Please communicate with me and let me know what’s going on. If I haven’t been there, let me know how I can be there. The people who know me know that I listen and that I try. It’s not always easy, and it’s not just up to me, but if we work together on the issues that matter, we’ll get there. It’s just a matter of time.” Melissa Hurtado said.
The two candidates who receive the most votes in the June 2 primary will advance to the general election in November.
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