Arias Leads Pena in Ward 1 Council Race

Incumbent Eric Arias held a nearly 10% lead over challenger Mercy Pena as polls closed in the Bakersfield Ward 1 City Council election.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a plain municipal building facade and flagpole against a dry sky, in deep red and cream. — Incumbent Eric Arias held a nearly 10% lead over challenger Mercy Pena as polls closed Tuesday in Bakersfield's Ward 1 City Council race. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Bakersfield City Council Ward 1 election, and final results had not yet been reported. As of 8:08 p.m., incumbent Eric Arias led challenger Mercy Pena by nearly 10%.

Why it matters

The Ward 1 seat determines which candidate will represent the district on the Bakersfield City Council. Results will shape the council's composition for the coming term.

The 8:08 p.m. figures reflect the early count only, with Arias ahead of Pena by nearly 10%. Official final tallies had not been released at the time of poll closing.

The players

Eric Arias

Arias is president and CEO of United Way of Central Eastern California and sits on the council's Homelessness Committee.

Mercy Pena

Pena is a Bakersfield native and a trustee for the Greenfield Union School District, serving since 2024.

The details

Voters in Bakersfield's Ward 1 cast ballots in the council race, and polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Arias is seeking to hold the seat against Pena, a Greenfield Union School District trustee.

2020: Arias was first elected to the Bakersfield City Council in a partial term.
2022: Arias was reelected to the council.
2024: Pena began serving as a Greenfield Union School District trustee.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, 8 p.m.: Polls closed and Arias led Pena at 8:08 p.m.
2028: Pena's District Area C trustee term runs until this year.

Political Context

Arias first won the seat in a 2020 partial term and was reelected in 2022, so the Ward 1 race tests whether his incumbency holds. Pena's challenge comes from her position on the Greenfield Union School District board, a local office with its own voter base.

Ward 1 residents will learn who represents them on the council once final results are certified. The outcome determines the district's voice on local council decisions for the next term.