Supervisor Watson won't run for re-election
BY JAMES BURGER Californian staff writer jburger@bakersfield.com
One Kern County supervisor is leaving, another who may or may not run would face a challenger and a third is keeping quiet about her intentions.
Fourth District Supervisor Ray Watson said Monday he will not run for another term on the board.
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Ray Watson
In this file photo, Delano Councilman Sam Ramirez, left, and Captain Francis Jones walk around the outside of the Delano Community Correctional Facility. The state has recently ended its contract with this Delano based facility that houses low-level inmates.
Jon McQuiston
Karen Goh
Watson, who took his seat when Supervisor Ken Peterson died in office in 2002, will step down at the end of next year.
"I put in more time than I had planned to," he said. "It's been a wonderful experience but I think it's time for some new blood."
No candidates for Watson's seat have come forward.
Delano Councilman Sam Ramirez thinks it's time for a change, too -- but in Supervisor Jon McQuiston's 1st Supervisorial District, not Watson's 4th District.
Ramirez announced, in a press release over the weekend, that he plans to run for McQuiston's seat.
"For seven years, I have had the great opportunity to represent the city of Delano and its residents. With some of the issues facing our county and our state, I feel it is time for a new voice to represent the First District," he wrote in a statement.
McQuiston said Monday that he will make an announcement about whether he will run in the next week or two.
A lot of people are interested in running for the seat -- some who will only throw their hat into the ring if he doesn't run, McQuiston said.
McQuiston said he hopes to let people know his intentions so they can make their plans.
Ramirez said he will run whether McQuiston is in the race or not -- for a couple of reasons.
"I'm 33 years old. The county is somewhat young and there are a lot of issues with families," he said. Also, "half the county is Latino. I'd like to be a voice for half the county."
He said he made his decision after watching supervisors push aside a number of community-authored plans for redrawing their political boundaries in favor of an option the public had no chance to help design.
Supervisor Karen Goh, who was appointed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in December to fill the 5th District supervisor's seat, is being circumspect about her plans for political office.
In response to questions about her intentions, Goh has repeated that she is focused on serving her constituents and hasn't made a decision about her future place in local politics.
Goh, a Republican with close ties to power broker and consultant Mark Abernathy, would likely be backed by his considerable resources if she chooses to run.
But her district has a majority Latino population and has repeatedly elected Democrats to office.
Like with Watson's seat, there are no individuals who have announced an interest in running for Goh's seat.
The election is next June. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two vote getters will square off in a November runoff.
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