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California Legislature · Statewide General Election

Member of the State Assembly, District 35

Draft candidate list — early preview until the state’s official list publishes on August 27, 2026.

This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.

On the ballot

This person holds your district's seat in the California State Assembly (2-year term).

This is an open seat and the closest contest on the entire November ballot: Democrat Andrae Gonzales and Republican Saul Ayon each took 36.7% of the June 2 vote — a dead heat. Ana Palacio finished third and is off the ballot. The district covers Bakersfield and surrounding Kern County communities.

The winner holds one of 80 Assembly seats for a two-year term, inside a 12-year lifetime cap on service in Sacramento. An Assemblymember authors bills, sits on the policy committees that decide which bills advance, and argues for the district's share of the annual state budget. Because this seat is open, whoever wins starts without seniority — and which party they belong to determines whether they build it inside the majority or outside it.

Two candidates tied to the decimal in June, and both come to this race from city government rather than from Sacramento — one from a city council, one from a mayor's office. There is no legislative record on either side to compare, so the available evidence is their municipal work and the shape of their campaigns. Of every race on this ballot, this is the one where a single vote is most likely to matter.

Andrae Gonzales

Democrat, a Bakersfield city councilmember representing Ward 2. He tied for first in the June primary at 36.7%. He raised $766,489, including $334,900 from PACs and committees, $224,550 from businesses and other organizations and $190,450 from individuals. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.

Strengths

City council experience in the district's largest city, and roughly three times his opponent's fundraising going into a race that is currently tied.

Trade-offs

Most of that money came from committees and organizations rather than individuals, and $8,701 from small donors; and he has no record in state office.

Keep in mind

The funding advantage did not produce a polling advantage in June — the two candidates finished level.

Saul Ayon

Republican, the mayor of McFarland. He tied for first in the June primary at 36.7%. His campaign reports $267,296 in contributions, including $103,425 from individuals, $91,616 from PACs and committees and $61,125 from businesses, along with money of his own. He has not served in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress.

Strengths

Executive experience as a city mayor, and he matched a far better-funded opponent vote for vote in June.

Trade-offs

He goes into the general with roughly a third of his opponent's resources, and has no record in state office to be judged on.

Keep in mind

McFarland is a much smaller city than Bakersfield, so his executive record covers a smaller population than his opponent's council ward may.

Record in office

This is an open seat: no candidate on the November ballot currently serves in the California Legislature or U.S. Congress, so there is no legislative record to compare here. These records cover only those offices.

Financial info

Saul Ayon

$267,296raised
  • Small donors$531<1%
  • Individuals$103,42538%
  • PACs & committees$91,61634%
  • Businesses & other orgs$61,12523%
  • Self-funding$13,1505%

Andrae Gonzales

$766,489raised
  • Small donors$8,7011%
  • Individuals$190,45025%
  • PACs & committees$334,90044%
  • Businesses & other orgs$224,55030%

Figures are CA Form 460 filings through June 30, 2026 by committees controlled by each candidate, and can include transfers from a candidate's earlier committees. Semi-annual reports covering January–June 2026 were due July 31, 2026, so some totals lag a period behind. Per the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access raw data export, retrieved 2026-08-22.

June 2 primary — how they advanced

Andrae Gonzales (Democratic)36.7% · 18,338 votes
Saul Ayon (Republican)36.7% · 18,299 votes
Ana Palacio (Democratic)26.6% · 13,283 votes
Source review: Very strong (96/100) · 4 cited sources

Official records anchor this contest, with several source types checked for context.

Last updated August 10, 2026.