19) Bakersfield Mayors Race
Bakersfield’s Mayor, Harvey Hall, has decided to not seek a fifth term this November. In the June primary, twenty-five people (yes, 25!!) vied to replace Mr. Hall. Out of that extremely crowded field, two candidates emerged-Karen Goh and Kyle Carter. Goh and Carter are both high accomplished and are promising to focus on the same issues. Perhaps a well-known Kern County political consultant, with whom both share a history, will be the difference.
Candidates:
- Karen Goh, former interim Kern County Supervisor, CEO of Garden Pathway
- Kyle Carter, real estate developer, Kern Community College district trustee
The Numbers (the race is technically non-partisan):
Total Voters: 160,304 (38% REP, 36% DEM, 26% Indep. or Other)
Notable racial make-up: Latino: 32%, Asian: 3%, African-Am: 3%)
Why we’re watching?
Smack dab in between Fresno and Los Angeles, amidst the most oil productive county in the U.S., sits California’s ninth largest city, Bakersfield. Extremely popular (received 93% of the vote in 2012) four-term Mayor Harvey Hall decided last winter that he would not seek re-election; leaving a wide-open race in his wake. A crowded primary field (including a hula hoop instructor and a tattoo artist) was whittled down to two candidates that are well organized, well funded, and well known throughout the community. While the office of Mayor is largely ceremonial and lacks direct management authority, the Mayor does preside over city council meetings and provides a tie-breaking vote in the event of a deadlock. Perhaps most importantly, the Mayor’s office is the most high profile position in the government (boosting name ID not being something to sneeze at).
Karen Goh is a former publishing executive and the current CEO of Garden Pathway, a nonprofit that helps at-risk youth and families in crisis and assist families in enrolling for Obamacare. Garden Pathway is highly dependent on state and federal funds having received $1.3 Million in the past two years alone. (Bakersfield Californian) In December 2010 Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Goh as Kern County Supervisor for the Fifth District. She served until January 2013 before losing an election to Leticia Perez. Ms. Goh has pledged to improve employment opportunities by diversifying the economy (the recent depreciation in oil prices has hurt Bakersfield’s oil-centered workforce) as well as focus on public safety by foster better communication between citizens and the police. Ms. Goh believes she is uniquely qualified due to her blend of experience in business development, government service, and community outreach.
Facing off with Goh in the November general will be longtime local businessman Kyle Carter. Carter claims to have started over 20 businesses in his career and was one of the top homebuilders in Bakersfield before selling his company in 2003. “ I literally built a large part of this town,” he said during the primary. (Bakersfield.com) He also built several local churches and recently co-founded the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame. He is a board member of the Bakersfield Homeless Center and Downtown Bakersfield Development Corporation. Thus far, Mr. Carter’s only taste of electoral politics was a 2014 race (that he won) for a seat on the Kern Community College Board of Trustees.
Like Goh, Carter plays up his business experience. Where they differ drastically is in their presentation and delivery. While Mr. Carter is loose and jovial, Ms. Goh often comes across as too rehearsed (listen to this brief interview for a sample-KVRP). At a recent candidate forum, Goh referenced the theme song from the classic Bill Murray film “Ghostbusters” when she said, “If you want a mayor with depth and experience, who are you going to call? If you want a mayor with vision of practical plans, who are you going to call?” As if on cue Carter responded, “Well, I’d call me.”
The Difference Maker?
Neither Goh nor Carter earned a majority of the vote in the June primary. They effectively finished tied at 33%, but Carter pulled in 257 votes more with the other 23(!!) candidates splitting 11,478 votes. Clearly, there is plenty of opportunity for Goh to bridge the gap. As for fundraising, Carter has raised more than $122,000, that’s more than Goh’s $117,000 but there is one substantial difference-Goh’s amount is all from contributions while Carter’s is largely from his own pocketbook. The self-financing approach has drawn some concern as to how it affects his viability as a candidate. “I think Kyle would do better if he wasn’t self-funding because, you know, when you ask people to have a piece of the action they’re more committed,” GOP political consultant Stan Harper told The Bakersfield Californian, equating contributions to votes. (Bakersfield.com) As of June 30, Carter had an advantage over Goh in available cash: $39,114 versus $600.
Perhaps the difference in the Bakersfield Mayor’s race will be the presence of veteran political consultant Mark Abernathy; who has a history with both candidates. In 2012, Mr. Abernathy ran Ms. Goh unsuccessful campaign for County Supervisor. In 2014, Abernathy helped Mr. Carter win election to the Kern Community College Board of Trustees. Many expected Carter and Abernathy to continue the partnership during the Mayor’s race, but it is Ms. Goh that ended up securing his services. Former Bakersfield City Councilmember Mark Salvaggio recently characterized Abernathy as “ a talented, calculating campaign operative who knows how to get down into the mud and sling it.” (Bakersfield.com) As the more novice political player, Mr. Carter seems to us like the one that needs the most guidance (he has retained his own in Joel Olssen). Given Mr. Abernathy’s history of “aggressive” tactics, it would shock no one to see those tactics deployed if the two candidates continue to poll closely.