Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall announced on Wednesday that he is endorsing longtime McCarthy advisor Vince Fong for the State Assembly seat.

"There is no one more committed to empowering our community than Vince Fong,” Hall said in a statement. “He has deep roots in Bakersfield and is steadfast in his desire to build a bright future for Kern County. We would be lucky to have someone as dedicated and passionate as Vince fighting for us in Sacramento.”

Fong and Hall have had a working relationship for over a decade. Hall is the latest in a growing list of  local leaders who are endorsing Fong for Assembly including Congressman Kevin McCarthy, State Senator Jean Fuller, Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, and Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood.

“Mayor Hall has dedicated his life to bettering Bakersfield and more broadly, Kern County,” Fong said “From City Hall to the halls of Congress, I’ve seen firsthand what a difference it makes when passionate leaders advocate for our community. Our hardworking neighbors deserve a voice in Sacramento and I will work day in and day out to ensure our values are represented in the state legislature.”

Fong has served as the district director to Congressman McCarthy for nearly a decade, managing public policy issues for the region. Fong was born and raised in Bakersfield and graduated from West High School and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a master’s from Princeton University.