It will fall on Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint a temporary successor to replace Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner who resigned effective August 2. That’s according to Kern County Counsel Margo Raison, who issued a press release Friday afternoon citing state law.
“Whenever a vacancy in a board of supervisors, the Governor shall fill the vacancy. The
appointee shall hold the office until the election and qualification of a successor,” states the
press release. Scrivner’s term runs until 2026.
But what happens after that is more complicated.
The next general election is November 5. According to Raison, “Although the primary election
has already occurred, it is not technically too late for the “independent nomination process” to allow a candidate to be placed on the November 5, 2024 ballot.”
This means anyone interested in running for Scrivner’s District 2 seat can file nomination papers with the Kern County Elections Department. But the time to file is short, as the elections code states that nomination papers must be submitted at least 88 days before the election, which is a deadline of August 9, 2024. The winning candidate would take office upon certification of the election results. Candidates must file a petition to run and pay a filing fee of around $2,000, which can be waived.
If the August 9 deadline cannot be met or no one files nomination papers to qualify for the
November 5 election, the election to fill the District 2 seat will be on the ballot of the next general election.
District 2 takes in parts of southwest and south Bakersfield, and stretches east, taking in
Tehachapi, Mojave, California City, Rosamond and Boron.
Scrivner has not been seen in public since April. He took a medical leave of absence from his
post after he was accused of sexually assaulting one of his children at his Tehachapi home on
April 23. The case was investigated by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office and is under review by
the State Attorney General’s office. No charges have been filed.
Scrivner’s wife, Christina Scrivner has filed for divorce and has a protective order against her
estranged husband.
The appointee shall hold office until the election qualification of a successor.
