logo
Kern Supervisor David Couch considering run for state Senate

Kern Supervisor David Couch considering run for state Senate

Yahoo18-03-2025

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Kern County's District 4 Supervisor David Couch is considering a run for state Senate, he confirmed with 17 News Monday afternoon.
Couch told 17 News he is eyeing Senate District 12, currently represented by Bakersfield Republican Shannon Grove.
Grove will be termed out in 2026 and is expected to run for a seat on the State Board of Equalization.
BPD asking public for help in locating missing adult
Couch said he will make a decision in the coming weeks.
Couch was just re-elected to his supervisorial seat, and that term ends in 2028.
If he wins the state Senate seat in the 2026 Midterm Election; he'd have to resign from his District 4 seat midterm.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ethical dilemma for Landry: Governor faces charges while his lawyer seeks changes for future claims
Ethical dilemma for Landry: Governor faces charges while his lawyer seeks changes for future claims

American Press

timean hour ago

  • American Press

Ethical dilemma for Landry: Governor faces charges while his lawyer seeks changes for future claims

Louisiana's Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. (Associated Press Archives) Louisiana is poised to adopt new measures that watchdogs warn raise barriers to holding public officials accountable via the state's ethics board. The legislation was drafted by the personal attorney of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who faces charges brought by the board for violating state ethics laws. Proponents say the measures give those accused of ethics violations more opportunities to respond to allegations, increases transparency and limits abuses of a process they claim is often unjust. But watchdog groups — and the Board of Ethics — warn the changes will undermine the board's ability to hold public officials accountable. While the changes would not apply to Landry's current charges, the legislation further bolsters the governor's power over a state board largely made up of his own appointees. Having overwhelmingly passed in the House and Senate this week — only three lawmakers voted against it — the bill awaits Landry's signature. Republican Rep. Gerald 'Beau' Beaullieu, who sponsored the bill, said it was brought forth after officials complained that the board's investigation process was 'more like being investigated by the Gestapo.' Landry's office declined to comment. Another bill would share the names of complainants with officials they are accusing of wrongdoing, as well as limit the board's ability to launch investigations. Governor's lawyer behind legislation Landry's private attorney, Stephen Gelé, drafted the legislation, which the governor supports. Gelé is defending Landry against ethics charges brought in 2023 for undisclosed free plane rides to Hawaii when he served as the state's attorney general. Gelé said negotiations are progressing to 'amicably resolve the charges.' Last year, Gelé warned lawmakers that the ethics board's investigatory powers are 'dangerous, unwarranted, and threaten well-established fundamental constitutional rights' and he has sought to rein them in with new legislation. The bill's supporters say it gives the board more discretion about whether to pursue investigations and bring charges, cuts down on waste of taxpayer dollars and strengthens due process rights for the accused. Yet these changes are raising red flags. In a letter to lawmakers, the Board of Ethics warned that the bill's requirement to share copies of all subpoenas with officials under investigation allows them to 'influence a witness's documents or responses.' Critics say the bill undercuts the board's authority by granting local courts the power to quash investigations, gives officials opportunities to run out the clock on the board's one-year timeline to bring charges and prevents the board from investigating violations that were disclosed by public officials seeking the board's advisory opinion. The bill also requires a two-thirds board vote to approve an investigation into a sworn complaint and another two-thirds vote on whether to file charges. Current policy requires only majority votes. Barry Erwin, president of the Council for a Better Louisiana, a nonpartisan government accountability group, said the bill's two-thirds vote requirements constitute a 'high bar to overcome' for a board of political appointees. 'I just think in real life, in very political situations, it's hard for some of these board members to act with the independence in the system we had before,' Erwin said. A bill that will reduce complaints The other bill under consideration — which Gelé said he did not craft and Landry has not publicly supported — would require anyone bringing an ethics complaint to disclose their name and file the complaint in person at the ethics board offices in Baton Rouge. The bill passed in the House with only seven lawmakers opposed and is pending final passage in the Senate. In a legislative committee hearing, David Bordelon, general counsel for the ethics board, warned that the bill would enable officials 'to intimidate a witness or potentially alter information that's requested.' Bordelon said the measure would 'drastically reduce the number of complaints.' The legislation's sponsor, Republican Rep. Kellee Hennessey Dickerson, said her bill is part of a fight for 'truth' and 'justice.' 'For those of us who have been through it, it helps develop peace of mind, knowing who your accuser is, especially when you are spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to try and clear your good name,' said Dickerson, who was fined $1,500 for an ethics violation in 2023. She argued people frequently file complaints to harass their political opponents. Bordelon countered that the board dispassionately evaluates complaints and provides the accused with the opportunity to defend themselves if charges are brought. The bill also prevents the ethics board from launching investigations based on non-governmental sources such as media reports. Governor dominates state ethics board Following legislation passed last year, the governor directly appoints nine of the board's 15 members, with the Legislature appointing the rest. Officials with the legislative and executive branches now have more control over those who may be tasked with investigating them, watchdogs note. 'It's gone from a process that was as much arm's length away from politics as we could make it, and we had it that way for many years, to a process now that is very much more political than we've ever seen it,' Erwin said. 'It's going to be very difficult for the board to act in a way that guarantees that kind of oversight we want to have.'

Democrats fend off GOP in San Antonio mayor runoff election
Democrats fend off GOP in San Antonio mayor runoff election

The Hill

timean hour ago

  • The Hill

Democrats fend off GOP in San Antonio mayor runoff election

Former Biden administration official Gina Ortiz Jones has won a runoff election in San Antonio's mayoral race, fending off a Republican opponent that the GOP hoped could pull off an upset, Decision Desk HQ projects. Jones defeated former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos in an officially nonpartisan election that still in practice played out as a partisan election as Jones is a registered Democrat and Pablos is a registered Republican. The two candidates had advanced from the first round of the election in which many competed on the same ballot. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote in that round last month, the top two performing candidates advanced to face each other in the runoff. The city of San Antonio hasn't elected a Republican mayor in more than 20 years, and the past two elections for outgoing Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who has served since 2017, haven't been close. Nirenberg is term-limited from running again after serving four two-year terms. But Republicans had hope that they could notch a win with Pablos, who served as secretary of state for about two years under Gov. Greg Abbott (R). The GOP made some gains in the city in November after three presidential races in a row in which the city swung toward Democrats, though former Vice President Harris still comfortably won the area. Pablos also had a significant fundraising advantage, outraising Jones by a margin of 1.5 to 1, while outside spending from PACs contributed more than triple the amount in favor of Pablos compared to Jones, according to DDHQ. That includes a PAC with ties to Abbott and San Antonio's police union, The Texas Tribune reported. Pablos also picked up an endorsement from the editorial board of the San Antonio Express-News, uncommon for a Republican. But Jones was still the favorite in the Democratic-leaning city, even despite the gains that President Trump and the GOP has made with Hispanic voters recently. She finished first in the first round of voting in May, receiving 27.2 percent of the vote in a crowded field to Pablos's 16.6 percent. Jones previously served as undersecretary of the Air Force during the Biden administration from 2021 to 2023. Before that, she was the Democratic nominee for the House seat in Texas's 23rd Congressional District in 2018 and 2020, losing narrowly both times. She will be San Antonio's third female mayor and the first person to serve a four-year term after voters in the city approved a measure in November extending the mayor's term from two years to four. She will also be the city's first openly lesbian mayor.

Trump deploying California National Guard over governor's objections to LA to quell protests
Trump deploying California National Guard over governor's objections to LA to quell protests

San Francisco Chronicle​

time2 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Trump deploying California National Guard over governor's objections to LA to quell protests

PARAMOUNT, Calif. (AP) — President Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops despite the governor's objections to Los Angeles over where protests Saturday led to clashes between immigration authorities and demonstrators. The White House said in a statement Saturday that Trump was deploying the Guardsmen to 'address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester' in California. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, objected to the move and said in a post on X that the move from the Republican president was 'purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.' PARAMOUNT, Calif. (AP) — Tear gas and smoke filled the air on the southern outskirts of Los Angeles on Saturday as confrontations between immigration authorities and demonstrators extended into a second day, and President Trump warned that the federal government may 'step in and solve the problem.' Gov. Gain Newsom said the federal government was 'moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers' and warned that it would only escalate tensions. Additional details were not immediately available. 'This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust,' Newsom said. deployment. Local authorities 'are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment's notice,' the governor also said, and 'there is currently no unmet need.' On his Truth Social platform, Trump said: 'the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved' if Newsom and the Los Angeles mayor 'can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't.' Border Patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks stood guard outside an industrial park in the city of Paramount, deploying tear gas as bystanders and protesters gathered on medians and across the street. Some jeered at officers while recording the events on smartphones. 'ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,' a woman said through a megaphone. 'You are not welcome here.' One handheld sign read, 'No Human Being is Illegal.' Smoke rose from burning shrubbery and refuse in the street, and demonstrators kicked at a Border Patrol vehicle. A boulevard was closed to traffic as Border Patrol agents circulated through a community where more than 80% of residents identify themselves as Latino. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a message on social media addressing 'LA rioters' and warning that interference with immigration enforcement will not be tolerated. 'You will not stop us or slow us down,' Noem said on the X platform. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 'will enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers executed search warrants at multiple locations Friday, including outside a clothing warehouse in the fashion district. The action came after a judge found probable cause that the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney's Office. A tense scene unfolded outside as a crowd tried to block agents from driving away. Advocates for immigrants' rights said there were also migration detentions outside Home Depot stores and a doughnut shop. DHS said in a statement that recent ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrest of 118 immigrants, including five people linked to criminal organizations and people with prior criminal histories. Following the Friday arrests, protesters gathered in the evening outside a federal detention center, chanting, 'Set them free, let them stay!' Some held signs with anti-ICE slogans, and some some scrawled graffiti on the building. Among those arrested at the protests was David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union. Justice Department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy confirmed that he was being held Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles ahead of a scheduled Monday court appearance. It was not clear whether Huerta had legal representation. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for his immediate release. In a social media post, he cited a 'disturbing pattern of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their right to free speech.' The immigration arrests come as President Donald Trump and his administration push to fulfill promises of mass deportations across the country. Mayor Karen Bass said the activity was meant to 'sow terror' in the nation's second-largest city. In a statement Saturday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons chided Bass for the city's response to the protests. 'Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,' Lyons said. 'Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation's immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store