A decade after he was elected to represent Bakersfield’s Ward 2, City Council Member Andrae Gonzales is preparing to leave office for the California State Assembly. With his seat becoming vacant on December 7, he hopes the City will hold a special election to fill his seat rather than appoint a replacement.
Gonzales, who won the November 3 election for California’s 35th Assembly District, told Kern Sol News that the vacancy will leave his seat open for nearly two years, until his current term is set to expire in 2028.
“The city charter allows the city council to decide if they’d like to appoint or call a special election,” Gonzales said. “Given there are two more years in this particular term, I think that it is most appropriate to call for a special election.”
Under Section 16 of the Bakersfield City Charter, a vacancy occurring more than six months before the next regularly scheduled election for that seat can be filled through an appointment or special election. The charter also allows residents of the affected ward to require a special election by submitting a petition with enough valid signatures.
The petition must be submitted within four weeks of the vacancy and contain signatures from qualified voters equal to at least 25% of the votes cast for council candidates in the ward’s last general election.
According to Kern County’s certified November 2024 election results, Gonzales received 6,363 votes against challenger Michael Cardenas, who received 4,372. With 10,735 votes cast between the two candidates, a petition would need at least 2,684 valid signatures to meet the charter’s threshold. The city has not yet confirmed the exact signature requirement for the upcoming vacancy.
If a valid petition is certified, the charter requires the council to call a special election between 90 and 180 days after certification. The council may also appoint someone temporarily to represent the ward while the election process takes place.
If no petition is filed within four weeks of the vacancy, the remaining councilmembers must decide whether to appoint a replacement or call a special election to fill the remainder of Gonzales’ term.
Bakersfield has previously held special elections to fill council vacancies, when current Ward 1 Councilmember Eric Arias won the election to replace Councilmember Willie Rivera. Rivera announced his departure with two years remaining in his term, prompting the City Council to approve a special election that would coincide with the November general election.
Beyond the election process, Gonzales said his successor will need to understand the different communities and competing priorities that make up Ward 2.
“My hope is that we will find someone who has some experience in elected office or leadership positions in the community,” Gonzales said, emphasizing the importance of reaching a broad and diverse constituency.
Gonzales described Ward 2 as the city’s oldest and most urban ward, encompassing neighborhoods such as Westchester, Southeast Bakersfield, Old Town Kern, East Bakersfield, Oleander-Sunset, West Park and Downtown Bakersfield.
Each community has its own needs and priorities, he said, making it important that the next councilmember understands how to represent residents across different neighborhoods.
“We need a leader who can balance competing interests and deliver high-quality services to all parts of the ward,” Gonzales said.
His departure comes as the City Council is also preparing for changes following the November 3 municipal elections, when voters cast ballots for council seats in Wards 1, 3, 4 and 7.
