Louis Gill switches candidacy to Kern County Board of Supervisors

Jan. 4—Louis Gill has switched his candidacy from Congress to the Kern County Board of Supervisors.

In an announcement on Monday, the former Bethany Services Inc. CEO said he would no longer run against Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, but he will seek the District 3 seat on the Board of Supervisors.

The seat is now held by Supervisor Mike Maggard, who has announced he will not seek reelection.

Gill said in his announcement the switch in candidacy was a result of the redistricting process. The new district, as drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Committee, moves more northward, leaving behind southeastern Kern County for Clovis and portions of Fresno, with a narrow arm reaching westward toward Lemoore.

The new district now contains more conservative-leaning, white, neighborhoods, allowing room for other nearby districts to capture more of the Latino vote. Although Gill said he supported many of the changes, which he said would likely lead to fairer representation across the Central Valley, he believes the new district would shift his focus from the Kern County area to Fresno and Clovis.

"My 21 years of community service have all been dedicated to the families and communities of Bakersfield and Kern County," he said in a statement. "My goal has always been to continue to serve this same community — my community — here at home."

For 21 years, Gill ran Bethany Services, the nonprofit that oversees the Bakersfield Homeless Center and the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault. He has become a well-known voice in Bakersfield on issues of homelessness and sexual assault.

Two other candidates have expressed interest in the District 3 seat, former California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Brian Smith and Maggard's Chief of Staff Jeff Flores.

Neither have formally announced, although both have begun seeking endorsements.

"If elected to serve on the Kern County Board of Supervisors, I will focus on alleviating homelessness, promoting public safety, protecting good-paying local jobs, maintaining a quality county workforce, and ensuring access to county services. I will apply common sense solutions to these issues and work to improve the quality of life for Kern County families," he said in the statement. "I have been truly humbled at the outpouring of local support for our congressional campaign and I look forward to bringing my passion for service to our race for supervisor."

You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.