Bakersfield Vice Mayor Manpreet Kaur is asking Ward 7 voters for a second term, running on a record of infrastructure fixes and street safety work in a ward she says she has called home her entire life. She faces challenger Angie Valdez, a social worker and self-described nonpartisan candidate, in the Nov. 3 general municipal election.
Kaur was elected to the Ward 7 seat in 2022 and was unanimously chosen by her council colleagues as vice mayor in 2024, according to KGET 17 News. She was sworn into office on Dec. 14, 2022, after winning that year's midterm election with 53.8 percent of the vote, The Bakersfield Californian reported at the time.
Kaur says her connection to Ward 7 runs deeper than her council service. She was born at Kern Medical, and her parents bought their first home in the ward, according to the KGET candidate profile authored by Sangmin Kim. “I've lived in Ward 7 my whole life,” Kaur said, per the same account, adding that she returned to the area after finishing graduate school.
Her Record and Her Pitch for a Second Term
During her first term, Kaur says she worked to improve communication between the city of Bakersfield and Kern County, pushed infrastructure upgrades in her ward, and focused on street safety in South Bakersfield, the station reports. She currently chairs the council's Housing and Community Development Committee and also sits on the Water Board and Traffic Safety Committee, per the questionnaire responses the station collected.
Kaur told KGET that public safety, road safety, infrastructure investment and smart growth “for families need to continue” as priorities if she wins another term. Separately, Turn to 23 reports her top priorities include expanding pedestrian safety projects, building new affordable housing units, and investing in education and workforce development programs.
Kaur has also pointed to a process change she says she championed: pushing for monthly city council budget meetings open to residents, according to Turn to 23's reporting. On workforce development, she said she measures success by “how many of today's youth decide to stay, work and continue growing with Bakersfield,” the station reported.
Where Kaur Stands on Data Centers and Growth
Asked about the kind of commercial growth reshaping parts of the Central Valley, Kaur said she would only support data-center development under specific conditions. “Tech companies should pay for their own grid upgrades so our utility bills don't spike, hire locally, and follow the same water rules everyone else does,” she said, according to the KGET questionnaire.
Kaur's path back to the council seat follows a setback earlier this year. She lost the June primary election for State Senate District 16 to incumbent Melissa Hurtado and Republican challenger Guillermo Gonzalez, according to the candidate profile from KGET 17 News.
The Ward 7 Matchup and a Neighboring Vacancy
An official candidate listing from the city confirms Kaur and Valdez as the two qualified candidates for the Ward 7 general municipal election set for Nov. 3. Valdez is a Bakersfield social worker and self-described nonpartisan candidate who bought her Bakersfield home in 2019.
Kaur's re-election bid comes as Ward 3 Councilman Ken Weir is retiring from his seat next year, according to the KGET report. Kaur said she would be honored to serve with a new colleague and welcomed the chance to work with a new voice on the council, saying she hopes to share ideas and find common ground for Bakersfield residents.
