BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield Vice Mayor and Ward 7 City Councilman Andrae Gonzales announced Wednesday that he will be running to become the representative for California's 35th Assembly District. The seat is currently held by Dr. Jasmeet Bains.
Gonzales has served on the Bakersfield City Council for 7 years. After Gonzales' announcement, Bains responded, saying she's looking forward to running another strong campaign.
Lifelong Bakersfield resident Ross Felix heard about Gonzales' announcement and said he hopes whoever the representative is, they're able to find solutions for some longstanding concerns in the district.
"Homelessness. I'd like to see them get off the street. I feel really bad for them," said Felix. "I'd like to see the East Hills Mall get going again. They started construction and then I don't know what happened."
Another 35th District resident, Valerie Kostianis, is also hoping for the district's assemblymember to take action on the homelessness issue.
"It's really sad to see the homeless out on the street and all strung up (sic) and everything," said Kostianis.
Gonzales says that after serving as a city councilman and being a third-generation Bakersfield resident, he understands how critical it is to bring positive change to the area, and says he plans to continue doing so at the state level.
"Many of the mechanisms through which we can or we can't do redevelopment really are created in Sacramento. So it's important for us to be there in Sacramento championing those issues that affect us, those tangible issues that really affect us every single day. We need to work with energy and with passion and with grit so that we can bring more resources right here into Kern County," said Gonzales.
In response to Gonzales' announcement on his bid for the 35th State Assembly seat, Dr. Jasmeet Bains released the following statement:
As a doctor and not a career politician, I know how important it is to stay focused on taking care of our community. Since being elected overwhelmingly last November, I have been fighting to do just that - by fighting to deliver millions of dollars to support Kern County, working to protect Valley jobs, and delivering the resources we need to combat the fentanyl crisis. I am proud of my record delivering for our community and am confident Kern County's voters will re-elect me to another term, where they can count on me to deliver even more for our community.
The election for the 35th Assembly District takes place in 2024. Both Gonzales and Bains say they're looking forward to addressing the concerns and meeting the needs of those who reside in California's 35 State Assembly District.
