‘The heart of California is right here’: Xavier Becerra stops in Bakersfield for Hurtado campaign kickoff
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- Candidates up and down the ballot have begun their journeys on the campaign trail. But one local state senator is getting some help from Democratic nominee for Governor Xavier Becerra.
"The heart of California is right here in the central part of our state in the great city of Bakersfield," Becerra said to an energetic crowd.
Becerra made a stop in the Central Valley on Thursday to help launch Senator Melissa Hurtado's re-election campaign.
"She understands what is the beating heart of California," the former Health and Human Services Secretary said. "If we don't have an agricultural community that thrives in California, doesn't thrive if we don't take care of our water and make sure our water goes to the right places."
Hurtado was first elected to the State Senate in 2018 as the youngest women elected to the body.
But she has been no stranger to close elections. In 2022 Hurtado won her election by only 13 votes.
This election cycle, she faces off against Republican small businessowner Guillermo Gonzalez. If Hurtado wins it would be her third and final term in the legislature due to term limits.
"We need to build our own, to grow our own and the talent is here," Hurtado said. "We want to make sure that we can get that going and we hope that we can continue to build off the progress that we've made so far."
Your Kern County 2026 Midterm Election Voter Guide
Joining the Senator and Becerra was Senate President Monique Limon, who is the first Latina to hold the position.
The three discussed how they would help tackle issues facing the Central Valley, like water issues, farming and oil.
"We would want to make sure we continue to stabilize our supply," Becerra said. "We want to make sure we're able to drop prices of fuel and I want to make sure I'm following the lead of center who follow as we discuss those issues that are critically important here in Kern County."
When it comes to water, Hurtado secured 171 million in state funding for water projects in the Central Valley.
But is it enough to help deal with the threat of the invasive Golden Mussel?
"I do foresee that we need to have some sort of surveillance, a process of different species that be threatened, our water supply in place, much like we have with our food and our poultry and other parts of our food industry," said the two-termed senator.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
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