Salvador Solorio-Ruiz, a Delano local who has been active in the community since he was a youth, has been elected to serve as the Delano mayor.

Raised by hard-working parents who worked as farm workers upon arriving in the United States and later as a truck driver and childcare providers, he is now in a position to represent the very issues that impact the Latino community. Especially during this current political climate that continues to prosecute, dehumanise, and discriminate against Latinos and other disadvantaged communities. The newly elected mayor recognises the importance of keeping elected officials accountable in terms of how certain policies affect the community.

At the age of 24, he served as Vice Mayor and as a council member for the City of Delano. In his new position, he aims to bring more opportunities for youth to be engaged in local government, more employment opportunities, and, importantly, ways for the community to excel.

Last year, the City of Delano approved the establishment of a youth council board that Solorio-Ruiz aims to launch during his term to increase youth participation. He has helped establish scholarships run by the city and donated funds to the Bakersfield College Foundation.

“My love and admiration for investing in youth has always been there. We recently collaborated with United Way of Kern County and other organisations through the community to have a financial literacy program and workshop for young people,” explained Solorio-Ruiz.

Through the financial literacy program, high school students gained knowledge of finances and earned between a $500-1000 stipend for their participation. In his new position, he aims to collaborate with the Kern Literacy Council to bring more books into the community and hopes to work with organisations that prioritise the necessities youth and constituents need to excel.

In terms of programs that youth who are interested in government, the mayor encourages them to reach out to their elected officials and inquire about possible internships or volunteer programs.

“ I’ve had a couple of young people participate in an informal internship program with my office where they attended council meetings, provided analysis on policies, and provided opinions on these policies,” explained Solorio-Ruiz.

Solorio-Ruiz, like many locals in Delano, is a first-generation college student who is the son of immigrants and is paving the way for the youth of the town. As he faced loss of family members at the hands of gun violence and combatted adversity in different avenues of life, Solorio-Ruiz has continued to strive for more, demonstrating the determination and resilience that the community of Delano represents.

“I feel an enormous sense of responsibility to do well for my community. The same love, care, and governance that I had as a council member is the same I will have as mayor. When I am up there, I am not representing myself but those who leaders who came before me, like Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Larry Itilong,” said the Mayor.

As he left for college, to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Communications at Fresno State, Solorio-Ruiz found himself back in Delano serving and uplifting the community that had paved the way forward for many like himself. Upon his return from college, he attended council meetings to gain insight into issues about his community, but also to offer a new perspective that belongs to working-class families, and that understands the issues at first glance.

“I know that when I am up there representing the issues that every day Latinos care about, not just Latinos, but I would say working class folks, especially when we talk about issues of public safety. Issues about our homeless community and creating job opportunities for all” said Solorio-Ruiz.

Data reveals that as of August 2025, Delano’s unemployment rate was at 14.1% with the median income being recorded at 22,582. Recently, the City of Delano has seen new developments of businesses being constructed down Wollomes Avenue, with stores like Target opening in the spring of 2026, creating more job opportunities for locals.