BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — In the coming week, some voters in Kern, Kings, Fresno and Tulare counties will be getting another ballot for a special election.
This special election is to fill out the remainder of former Bakersfield Congressman Kevin McCarthy’s term, which would’ve ended January 2025.
The special election is separate from the March 5 presidential primary. So, how did we get here?
Last December, McCarthy resigned from Congress mid-term, leaving his office vacant until January 2025. To temporarily fill that vacancy, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a special election.
With this in mind, there are some key election dates fast approaching.
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Again, there’s the regularly scheduled March 5 presidential primary, for which voters should have already received a ballot. Two weeks later, on March 19, there’s the primary special election.
Following this, there could be a runoff election on May 21 with the top two vote getters, if no candidate gets 50% (+1) of the votes in March.