Bakersfield Ward 7 City Councilwoman Manpreet Kaur has filed paperwork to run for California’s 16th Senate District seat, currently held by Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a fellow Democrat. 

Hurtado and Kaur did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday morning, but the Secretary of State’s Office shows that both have filed statements of intention to run. 

Kaur was first elected to the Bakersfield City Council in 2022 and her term ends this year. Hurtado was first elected to the state Senate in 2018 and reelected in 2022. She previously served on the Sanger City Council.Â