BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The sky was graciously cloudy on a recent Saturday morning as a group of people from all corners of Kern County gathered in a parking lot. The mood was light, and many wore shirts declaring support for Rudy Salas, the Democrat running to represent Congressional District 22, a sprawling, largely rural expanse in the southern Central Valley. A white board reminded the volunteers of the impending deadline: Election Day is Nov. 5.