Bakersfield Council Faces Ward 2 Vacancy
Councilman Andrae Gonzales's move to the state Assembly leaves a Ward 2 seat open with options for filling it.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Legislative Policy
Live Poll
Should Bakersfield fill the Ward 2 vacancy by special election rather than appointment?
Ward 2 Councilman Andrae Gonzales won election to represent the 35th Assembly District and is expected to be sworn in on December 7, creating a vacancy on the Bakersfield City Council. The council has two pathways to fill the seat: a special election or an appointment.
Why it matters
The vacancy shifts representation for Bakersfield's Ward 2 and sets a timeline for residents and the council to decide how the seat will be filled. The choice between a special election and an appointment determines when voters or appointees return the seat to full council representation.
A petition must carry signatures equal to 25% of the 10,735 ballots cast for Ward 2 candidates in November 2024. Whether enough residents will file one within the four-week window remains unknown.
The players
Andrae Gonzales
Gonzales is a Bakersfield City Council member representing Ward 2 who won election to the California State Assembly's 35th District.
Kern County Elections Department
The Kern County Elections Department is the county agency that certifies and reports ballot counts for local races, including Bakersfield's Ward 2 contest.
The details
The city charter allows the council to fill the vacancy by calling a special election no less than 90 and no more than 180 days after a petition is certified, or by appointing an interim candidate by simple majority vote. The council can make an appointment two weeks after a petition is filed, and must adopt a resolution calling a special election at least 140 days before the election date.
Timeline
November 18, 2026: Gonzales attends his last Bakersfield City Council meeting.
December 7, 2026: Gonzales is sworn in as a state assemblyman, and the Ward 2 seat becomes vacant.
January 4, 2027: Deadline for residents to file a petition requesting a special election.
January 6, 2027: Earliest date the council could appoint an interim member.
November 2027: Earliest possible date for a special election.
Legislative Policy Context
The Bakersfield city charter sets two pathways for filling council vacancies, a special election or an appointment, and this Ward 2 vacancy tests those provisions directly. The choice between the two will set how quickly Ward 2 regains a full-time representative on the council.
Ward 2 residents will go without a council representative from December 7 until the seat is filled. The timeline for a special election or appointment determines how long that gap lasts.
The takeaway
Ward 2 residents who want a say in how the seat is filled should track the January 4, 2027 petition deadline. Waiting for the council to act on its own may mean a longer gap before the seat is filled.
What happens next
Residents have until January 4, 2027 to file a petition for a special election, and the council may make an appointment beginning January 6, 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Legislative Policy to see how similar council vacancies are handled.
Live Poll
Should Bakersfield fill the Ward 2 vacancy by special election rather than appointment?
