BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Candidates looking to represent California’s Senate District 16 will face off in a debate live on KGET on Wednesday, May 13.
The debate featuring just two of the three candidates for the seat will take place May 13 at 7 p.m. live from the KGET studios in Bakersfield. The debate will be televised on KGET in Bakersfield and KSEE/KGPE in Fresno and available to watch on our streaming apps.
Bakersfield Vice Mayor Manpreet Kaur, a Democrat, and Guillermo Gonzalez, a Republican, have confirmed they will participate in the debate. Incumbent Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) declined KGET’s invitation and will not take part.
Kaur is the current Vice Mayor of Bakersfield and is seeking state office for the first time. She was elected to the Bakersfield City Council in 2022. Gonzalez is a Bakersfield native, a business owner, and has previously worked for Rep. David Valadao.
Hurtado was first elected to the California Senate in 2018 and narrowly won reelection in 2022.
California’s 16th Senate District includes portions of Kern, Kings and Tulare counties.
The debate will be moderated by 17 News’ Vincent Demonte and KSEE24’s Katherine Phillips.
How to watch the debate on KGET+
KGET+ is available for download on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and Samsung TV.
Roku: Press the home button on your remote control, highlight search on the menu, search for “KGET.” Find the KGET+ app and add the app. After downloading, the app will appear on your screen.
Fire TV: From the home screen, go to the magnifying glass icon to search for KGET+, select the app and click download to install it.
Samsung TV: On your home screen select Apps, search for KGET+ using the search icon, select install. Press the Home button to return to the Home menu.
The debate will also be available on KGET.com.
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