Kern County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
9 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 5 Kern County races, led by the California Senate District 12 contest.
By address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Kern County is split across 5 California Senate and Assembly districts.
Find your districts by addressCalifornia Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 12, 16
California Senate District 12Nathan Magsig (R) · William Brown Jr. (Libertarian)
Nathan Magsig Republican
- Water infrastructure and agriculture
- Wildfire and forest management
- Public safety and law enforcement support
Per the campaign site.
About Nathan Magsig
Magsig is a Fresno County Board of Supervisors member for District 5 and a former mayor of Clovis, per the campaign site. His career has included work as a youth pastor, a legislative aide in the California Legislature, executive director of a nonprofit affordable housing developer, and energy director for the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, and he holds a master's degree in criminology and an MBA from Fresno State, per the campaign site.
William Brown Jr. Libertarian
- Fiscal responsibility and reducing bureaucratic spending
- Individual liberty and reduced government regulation
- Trusting communities and individuals over centralized planning
Per the campaign site.
About William Brown Jr.
William Brown Jr. is a licensed clinical social worker and Marine Corps veteran who works as a social worker for incarcerated people, per his campaign site. He is the Libertarian candidate for California's 12th Senate District.
Nathan Magsig (Republican) and William Brown Jr. (Libertarian) meet on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Sen. Shannon Grove (Republican), the sitting member per the Legislature's roster, is not on the November ballot. June 2 top-two primary result: Nathan Magsig (REP) 59.5 percent and William Brown Jr. (LIB) 26.5 percent advanced over Louis Anthony Miramontes (REP) 14.0 percent, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageCalifornia Senate District 16Melissa Hurtado (D) · Guillermo Asuncion Gonzalez (R)
Melissa Hurtado Democratic Incumbent
Melissa Hurtado is the Democratic incumbent for California State Senate District 16, representing California's Central Valley, per her official Senate website. She was elected to the State Senate in 2018, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to that chamber, after serving on the Sanger City Council beginning in 2016, per the same source. She holds a political science degree from Sacramento State University and has focused her legislative work on water, food security and health access in the Central Valley, per her official Senate website.
Guillermo Asuncion Gonzalez Republican
Guillermo Asuncion Gonzalez is a candidate for the 16th State Senate District. His ballot designation is small business owner, per the California Secretary of State's certified list of candidates for the November 3, 2026 general election.
Melissa Hurtado (Democratic) and Guillermo Asuncion Gonzalez (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Melissa Hurtado is the incumbent, per the Secretary of State's list. June 2 top-two primary result: Guillermo Asuncion Gonzalez (REP) 45.2 percent and Melissa Hurtado (DEM) 35.6 percent advanced over Manpreet Kaur (DEM) 19.1 percent, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageCalifornia Assembly: 3 districtsDistricts 32, 34, 35
California Assembly District 32David Couch (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
David Couch Republican
- Addressing affordability, crime and homelessness
- Advancing water and energy policy and supporting agriculture and small business
Per the campaign site.
About David Couch
David Couch is a Kern County Supervisor who previously served on the Bakersfield City Council from 1999 to 2012 before his election to the Board of Supervisors in 2013, per Bakersfield.com. He is the Republican candidate for California Assembly District 32.
David Couch (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Assemblymember Stan Ellis (Republican), the sitting member per the Legislature's roster, is not on the November ballot. June 2 top-two primary result: David Couch (REP) 100.0 percent advanced, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageCalifornia Assembly District 34Randall Putz (D) · Charles Frederick Hughes (R)
Randall Putz Democratic
- Expanding healthcare access and provider recruitment in underserved rural areas of San Bernardino County
- Affordable housing
- Public education funding
Per the campaign site.
About Randall Putz
Randall Putz is a Democratic candidate for California's 34th Assembly District and the mayor of Big Bear Lake, per his campaign website. He has served as an elected official for 18 years, first joining the Bear Valley Unified School District board in 2008 before being elected to the Big Bear Lake City Council in 2014, per the Big Bear Grizzly.
Charles Frederick Hughes Republican
- Cutting taxes and regulation, including the gas tax
- Public safety and addressing the fentanyl crisis
- Expanding vocational training and parental choice in education
Per the campaign site.
About Charles Frederick Hughes
Hughes is a retired law enforcement officer, a U.S. Navy veteran, and a small business owner, per the campaign site. Hughes is a husband and father of five with eight grandchildren, per the campaign site.
Randall Putz (Democratic) and Charles Frederick Hughes (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Assemblymember Tom Lackey (Republican), the sitting member per the Legislature's roster, is not on the November ballot. June 2 top-two primary result: Randall Putz (DEM) 39.2 percent and Charles Frederick Hughes (REP) 36.7 percent advanced over Steve Fox (REP) 19.0 percent, Manny Lin (REP) 5.1 percent, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageCalifornia Assembly District 35Andrae Gonzales (D) · Saul Ayon (R)
Andrae Gonzales Democratic
Andrae Gonzales is the Democratic candidate for California Assembly District 35. His ballot designation is Councilmember/Nonprofit Director, per the California Secretary of State's official candidate contact list for the November 3, 2026 general election. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Saul Ayon Republican
- public safety
- affordable living
- clean water
Per the campaign site.
About Saul Ayon
Saul Ayon is Mayor of McFarland and a retired member of the Kern County Sheriff's Department, running for California Assembly, per his campaign site. He served nearly 25 years in law enforcement before becoming a Criminal Justice Instructor at McFarland High School, was elected to McFarland City Council in 2020, and became Mayor in 2022.
Andrae Gonzales (Democratic) and Saul Ayon (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Assemblymember Jasmeet Kaur Bains (Democratic), the sitting member per the Legislature's roster, is not on the November ballot. June 2 top-two primary result: Andrae Gonzales (DEM) 36.7 percent and Saul Ayon (REP) 36.7 percent advanced over Ana Palacio (DEM) 26.6 percent, per the Secretary of State's Statement of Vote. California's top-two primary decides who prints in November; the field is the Secretary of State's Certified List of Candidates for the General Election (August 27, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
California's June 2 top-two primary sent the two leading vote-getters in every race to the November 3 ballot regardless of party (a same-party November contest is common); the Secretary of State certified the November field on August 27, 2026. County offices that reached a majority in June were decided then; only November runoffs and local measures remain on county ballots.
Who is on the ballot in Kern County, California on November 3, 2026?
Kern County sample ballot 2026: see where the california assembly and california senate candidates stand on public safety, water and agriculture. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in California?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for California are listed on the California election hub. California election hub →
How do I see my exact Kern County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →