Political Party:
Democrat
Ballot Designation:
Vice Mayor/Professor
Law Enforcement Contributions:
None as of 4/13/26
Background:
Manpreet Kaur is currently Vice Mayor of Bakersfield, as well as a Professor of Political Science at CSU Bakersfield. Kaur was elected as a Bakersfield city councilmember in 2022, where she served as the first Sikh Punjabi woman on the City Council.
Public Safety Platform:
While Kaur posts no specific public safety platform, she highlights her record of lowering homicide rates in Bakersfield through transformative justice measures such as youth violence prevention programs. She has “Deployed Youth violence prevention contracts and Substance Use Mitigation dollars into vulnerable communities.”
While not much is said about her public safety platform, she is endorsed by progressive organizations such as Courage CA. Therefore, IJ Action recommends voters support Kaur given the poor voting record and tough-on-crime view of her opponents.
Website:
Political Party:
Democrat
Ballot Designation:
State Senator
Law Enforcement Contributions:
Background:
Senator Hurtado was elected to the Sanger California City Council in 2016 and to the California State Senate in 2018. She has an incredibly poor voting record on justice reform, earning an “F” on IJ Action’s Scorecard for the last 3 years.
Public Safety Platform:
On her campaign website, Senator Hurtado states that she is “seeking funding to fight gangs and drugs in the Valley and to put more officers on the streets.” And while she states supporting measures to prevent opioid overdoses by requiring college campuses to supply Narcan, she also advocates for increased criminalization and promises to “toughen penalties for those who manufacture and sell opioids like fentanyl in our communities.”
She also states her clear opposition to justice reform on her campaign website, referring to the fact that she opposed Democratic reforms and “Took on her own party to fight against the early release of violent criminals” and “Worked across party lines to toughen penalties for human traffickers.”
Website:
https://www.melissahurtado.com/
Political Party:
Republican
Ballot Designation:
Small Business Owner
Law Enforcement Contributions:
None as of 4/13/26
Background:
Guillermo Gonzalez is a small business owner from Bakersfield, CA.
Public Safety Platform:
Gonzalez places ‘restoring law and order’ as a campaign priority, stating: “The Valley has watched as Sacramento has pushed soft-on-crime policies that put our families in harm’s way. It’s time we back the badge, strengthen our police force, and end policies that release dangerous criminals back into our streets.
Website:
