City of Shafter · Statewide General Election
Shafter City Council
This is one contest. Enter your address to see every race on your November ballot, and keep track of your picks.
On the ballot
- Cathy Prout — Incumbent
- Gustavo Olvera Jr — Incumbent
- Rafael S. Zamudio — Welder
- Dale A. Scadron — Chaplain
- Nelson Salinas — Small Business Owner
- Malachi Gonzales — School Employee
- Dusti McDaris — Operations Director
This person holds one of two seats up this cycle on Shafter's 5-member City Council -- no member is listed by district on the city's own roster, consistent with an at-large council. Shafter is a charter city with a Council-Manager government, under a charter voters approved June 6, 1995. The Mayor is not directly elected -- the council appoints one of its own members to a 2-year term, most recently Chad Givens in December 2024.
Seven candidates qualified for two of Shafter's five City Council seats on the November 3 ballot, per Kern County's own candidate list: incumbents Cathy Prout and Gustavo Olvera Jr. are both seeking re-election, against five challengers -- Malachi Gonzales, Dusti McDaris, Nelson Salinas, Dale A. Scadron, and Rafael S. Zamudio.
The two winners each serve a four-year term on Shafter's five-member City Council: city ordinances, the budget, and land-use decisions citywide, in a charter city with a Council-Manager government. Shafter doesn't directly elect a Mayor -- the council appoints one of its own members, most recently Chad Givens in December 2024, for a two-year term.
Two of the seven candidates already hold the seats up this cycle, so the choice is less about council experience than whether voters want to keep the current representation or bring in one of five newcomers with no city-council record.
Cathy Prout
She has served on Shafter's City Council since April 1982 and has been re-elected every cycle since, per the city's own roster -- the longest tenure of anyone on this ballot. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond her qualified candidacy filing.
Strengths
Longer tenure than anyone else on this ballot -- first elected April 1982 and re-elected in every cycle since, per the city's own roster.
Trade-offs
No specific 2026 platform could be confirmed from available reporting -- a real gap for a multi-decade incumbent.
Keep in mind
She's one of two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election in this seven-candidate field, running under the ballot designation "Incumbent."
Gustavo Olvera Jr
He has served on Shafter's City Council since December 2022 and served as Mayor Pro Tem from December 2024 to December 2026, per the city's own roster. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond his qualified candidacy filing.
Strengths
One term on the council (elected 2022) plus recent service as Mayor Pro Tem (Dec. 2024-Dec. 2026), the position his colleagues chose him for.
Trade-offs
No specific 2026 platform could be confirmed from available reporting -- the same gap facing his council colleague on this ballot.
Keep in mind
He's one of two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election in this seven-candidate field, running under the ballot designation "Incumbent."
Malachi Gonzales
He works as a school employee and is one of five newcomers in this seven-candidate field. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond his qualified candidacy filing.
Strengths
One of five newcomers in a seven-candidate field, offering voters an alternative to two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election.
Trade-offs
No service in elected or appointed city government, and no specific platform could be confirmed from available reporting.
Keep in mind
His ballot designation, "School Employee," doesn't reference current city office, unlike the two incumbents on this ballot.
Dusti McDaris
She works as an operations director and is one of five newcomers in this seven-candidate field. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond her qualified candidacy filing.
Strengths
One of five newcomers in a seven-candidate field, offering voters an alternative to two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election.
Trade-offs
No service in elected or appointed city government, and no specific platform could be confirmed from available reporting.
Keep in mind
Her ballot designation, "Operations Director," doesn't reference current city office, unlike the two incumbents on this ballot.
Nelson Salinas
He works as a small business owner and is one of five newcomers in this seven-candidate field. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond his qualified candidacy filing.
Strengths
One of five newcomers in a seven-candidate field, offering voters an alternative to two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election.
Trade-offs
No service in elected or appointed city government, and no specific platform could be confirmed from available reporting.
Keep in mind
His ballot designation, "Small Business Owner," doesn't reference current city office, unlike the two incumbents on this ballot.
Dale A. Scadron
He works as a chaplain and is one of five newcomers in this seven-candidate field. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond his qualified candidacy filing.
Strengths
One of five newcomers in a seven-candidate field, offering voters an alternative to two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election.
Trade-offs
No service in elected or appointed city government, and no specific platform could be confirmed from available reporting.
Keep in mind
His ballot designation, "Chaplain," doesn't reference current city office, unlike the two incumbents on this ballot.
Rafael S. Zamudio
He works as a welder and is one of five newcomers in this seven-candidate field. No specific 2026 platform was confirmed beyond his qualified candidacy filing.
Strengths
One of five newcomers in a seven-candidate field, offering voters an alternative to two sitting councilmembers seeking re-election.
Trade-offs
No service in elected or appointed city government, and no specific platform could be confirmed from available reporting.
Keep in mind
His ballot designation, "Welder," doesn't reference current city office, unlike the two incumbents on this ballot.
Source review: Strong (89/100) · 2 cited sources
Official records anchor this contest, with a narrow source base.
- kernvote.com (opens in a new tab)Kern County Elections Division -- "Contest/Candidate Proof List," November 3, 2026 General Election (report code CFMR001, printed 8/17/2026); Delano City Council is contest 7031, Maricopa City Council is contest 7041, Ridgecrest Mayor is contest 7060, Ridgecrest City Council is contest 7061, Shafter City Council is contest 7071. Reached via a live browser session, navigating a fresh tab straight to each page's own URL fragment (#page=N) -- direct curl/WebFetch 403s behind an Akamai WAF, and the embedded viewer freezes after one render/scroll per tab, so each contest's roster was captured from a separate fresh tab.
- shafterca.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Shafter -- Mayor & Council (officeholder terms: Gustavo Olvera Jr and Cathy L. Prout both "Term Expires December 2026"; Chad Givens "Appointed Mayor December 2024 (2-year term)"; Gustavo Olvera Jr "Appointed Mayor Pro Tem December 2024 (2-year term)"; states Shafter is a charter city under a charter approved by voters June 6, 1995, with a Council-Manager government)
Last updated September 3, 2026.