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E-mail StoryYour guide to voting Tuesday
| Saturday, May 31 2008 12:00 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Jun 2 2008 7:17 AM
The following is a look at what's at stake in Kern County Tuesday, with links to even more information about each race:
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How does a primary work?
• In the congressional and state legislative races, the top vote getters from each party Tuesday will face off in the Nov. 4 general election.
• In the nonpartisan county supervisor, mayor and judge races, if nobody gets a majority of votes Tuesday, there will be a November runoff between the top two finishers.
• This is California’s second primary this year. There was one to pick a presidential nominee and settle a few other issues in February.
When can I vote?
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday
What should I bring?
You don’t need an ID, pen or pencil. Consider making a “cheat sheet” with your choices pre-marked for reference while casting your ballot.
Where do I go?
Your polling site is listed on the back of the sample ballot mailed to you. You can also find yours online at elections.co.kern.ca.us/elections/ using the “polling place locator” link.
What equipment will be there?
Paper ballots and some voting machines.
Who can I vote for?
If you are registered with a party, you can only choose candidates on your party’s ballot.
Decline-to-state voters not tied to any party can request a “crossover” ballot for the Democratic, Republican or American Independent party.
What’s on the ballot?
Races for Bakersfield mayor, 4th District Kern County supervisor and two Kern County Superior Court judgeships. There also are two statewide ballot measures about eminent domain, four local measures — in outlying areas of Kern County— and Republican Central Committee contests.
Technically there will be primary elections for various other Kern County offices but in many cases incumbents are unopposed or only one person in each party is running so they don’t face opposition until the November general election.
Need help?
For more information and to study up, go to bakersfield.com/elections. There you’ll find:
• Stories profiling the candidates for local office.
• The Californian's endorsements.
• Links to other helpful election Web sites.
Also, you can call the Kern County Elections Division at 868-3590 or toll free at 800-452-8683 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
BAKERSFIELD MAYOR
HARVEY HALL (incumbent)
Age: 67
Occupation: Owner, Hall Ambulance
Top issues: Positive recognition for residents and businesses
JOSEPH CAPORALI
Age: 76
Occupation: Owns a talent agency
Top issues: Bringing a Veterans Administration hospital to Bakersfield
Web site: Caporalifilm.com
MARC DELEON Age: 39
Occupation: Owner of two tattoo parlors
Top issues: Supporting local businesses
DENNIS MARTINEZ
Age: 48
Occupation: Construction company owner
Top issues: Local economy; bringing state and federal investment
KERN COUNTY SUPERVISOR — 4TH DISTRICT
RAY WATSON (Incumbent)
Age: 71
Occupation: Kern County Supervisor 4th District
Top issues: safe neighborhoods, clean air, improved roads, healthy economy, jobs, low taxes, balanced budget.
Web site: watson4supervisor.com
CLIFF THOMPSON
Age: 56
Occupation: Home builder, former oil field worker. Also a Taft City Councilman.
Top issues: roads, air quality and public safety.
Web site: Thompson4supervisor.com
KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE — OFFICE 24
LARRY ERREA
Career: Worked 25 years in private practice before becoming a Superior Court commissioner here last year.
OLAF A. LANDSGAARD
Career: A sole practitioner for more than 20 years who has worked in criminal, civil, estate planning, personal injury, real estate and other areas of the law.
KERN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE — OFFICE 30
CHARLES R. "CHIP" BREHMER
Career: A private attorney who has practiced law in Kern County since 1993 and has experience as a temporary Kern judge and judicial arbitrator.
HOLLY N. MITCHELL
Career: Has been a deputy district attorney in Kern for some two decades, including doing criminal prosecution and supervising child support and truancy cases.
TONY K. HEIDER
Career: Has practiced law in the public and private sectors for more than 33 years, with the bulk of his career spent at the Kern County public defender's office.
MICHAEL R. GARDINA
Career: Has been in private practice for more than 25 years, including in more than 75 jury and other trials. He was co-counsel for Vincent Brothers, convicted of killing five family members.
FRANK BUTKIEWICZ
Career: Has a private practice in Bakersfield with decades of experience in civil and criminal law. He’s handled more than 2,000 cases, including more than 100 jury trials, and been a temporary judge.
MATT BRADY
Career: Is vice president and general counsel for ABA Energy Corp. His primary focus has been civil law and litigation and he’s served as lead counsel on four jury trials.
LOCAL MEASURES
MEASURE C — Wasco Union High School District
A proposal to raise $33.5 million with a 30-year bond. That’s $30 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value. It would fund about 18 more classes, upgrades for historical buildings, a new cafeteria and a P.E. complex. Passage requires a 55 percent yes vote.
MEASURE D — Kernville Union School District
A bond to raise $6 million, which is no more than $30 per $100,000 in assessed value, to purchase 20 permanent modular classrooms.
These would replace 20 portable classrooms that are about 20 years old. Upgrades include wireless computers, new cabinetry, sinks and electrical hook-ups as well as replacing a 50-year-old septic system with new water, sewage and electrical.
Some funds would also go toward building a gym designed to double as a community evacuation center.
Passage requires a 55 percent yes vote.
BOND MEASURE F — Buttonwillow Recreation & Park District
A 30-year bond measure that would raise $4.87 million to help fund a multipurpose facility with a fitness center, district office and meeting rooms plus such outdoor facilities as softball and soccer fields and a swimming pool.
The maximum cost to area property owners would start at $8.04 per $100,000 of assessed value a year. That cost would decrease over time.
Passage requires a two-third’s vote.
TAX MEASURE E — City of McFarland
A 15 percent utility users tax on utility services used in the city including telecommunications, electric energy, natural gas, water, sewer, cable and trash. A typical household would pay $15 per every $100 in utility bills.
The revenue would flow into the city’s general fund for such services as police and fire, animal control, development services, public works and road maintenance.
The city expects $1.1 million would be raised in the 2008-2009 fiscal year; it anticipates ending this fiscal year with a $900,000 budget deficit.
Passage requires a majority vote.
OTHER
These incumbents don’t face opposition in the primary nor general election:
• Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield
• Kern County Supervisors Jon McQuiston and Michael Rubio
Primaries in which only one person is running in each party; the candidates will face off in November:
• 20th Congressional District: Democratic incumbent Jim Costa of Fresno and Republican Jim Lopez of Bakersfield.
• 30th Assembly District: Democrat Fran Florez of Shafter and Republican Danny Gilmore of Hanford.
•32nd Assembly District: Republican incumbent Jean Fuller of Bakersfield and Democrat Virginia Martinez of Bakersfield.