Election notebook: Ashburn collects endorsements from Ridgecrest, Delano leaders
By The Bakersfield Californian
Roy Ashburn picked up endorsements of his bid for 1st District supervisor from the majority of city council members in Ridgecrest and Delano on Wednesday .
They include two of his former opponents for the seat.
Joe Aguirre, Liz Morris, Mayor Grace Vallejo and former 1st District candidate Sam Ramirez -- all members of the five-seat Delano City Council -- have offered Ashburn thier support, he reported.
Ridgecrest City Council members Steven Morgan, Jason Patin, Mayor Ronald Carter and former 1st District candidate Marshall "Chip" Holloway have also thrown their support his way, Ashburn stated. There also are five members of the Ridgecrest City Council.
Ashburn is running against Mick Gleason of Ridgecrest, former commander of China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station.
The Kern County Democratic Party has made its endorsements for the elections this fall.
For the 21st Congressional District, it has endorsed Democrat John Hernandez, CEO of the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who will face Republican Assemblyman David Valadao. It's not making an endorsement in the race for the 23rd Congressional District seat, where Republican and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy faces newsman Terry Phillips, who's running without a party affiliation.
For the 32nd Assembly District, the organization has endorsed Bakersfield City Councilman Rudy Salas, who's running as a Democrat against Delano businessman and Republican Pedro Rios. For the 34th Assembly District seat, it's endorsed union organizer Mari Goodman, running against Republican Assemblywoman Shannon Grove.
The Kern County Republican Party has endorsed McCarthy and Valadao for Congress and Grove and Rios for the state Assembly.
The Kern County Republican Party opened a headquarters in Bakersfield for the campaign season. It's at 1811 Oak St. and will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday .
Volunteers can come to the headquarters to participate in precinct walks, phone banks, registering voters and answering voters' questions about candidates or propositions on the November ballot.
The Kern County Democratic Party is organizing its election season efforts out of the campaign offices for Hernandez and Salas. Hernandez's Bakersfield office is at 932 Niles St., and Salas' is at 912 Chester Ave.
Another group, the United Republicans of California -- Kern County Chapter, announced its endorsements for the fall elections. The Kern County chapter is independent from the Kern County Republican Party Central Committee, whose members are elected by registered Republican voters.
The group endorsed Republican candidates Valadao and McCarthy for Congress and Rios and Grove for Assembly. It also made two endorsements in the Bakersfield City Council race: Elliott Kirshchenmann for Ward 2 and Bob Smith for Ward 4.
The other candidates in the Ward 2 race are local restauranteur Terry Maxwell and David Mensch, who teaches people with disabilities to use assistive technology.
In Ward 4, Smith is the only candidate who's actively campaigning. Oil industry lawyer Harley Pinson has dropped out of the race, citing disagreements with his campaign management. Also running is Daniel Mbagwu, who hasn't campaigned visibly so far.
The UROC Kern County chapter formed in May, said Tony Lomas, the group's president. UROC was founded by former state Assemblyman Joe Shell in 1963 on the ideas of conservative family values, "true Constitutionalism" and individual and property rights, according to a press release.
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