Ridgecrest News | October 14, 2026. Election Day is November 3. People in Ridgecrest and the Indian Wells Valley will be voting in the statewide California election, but the exact local races are determined by their residence, not by the name of the nearest large city.

California governor: Becerra and Hilton

For governor, Xavier Becerra (Democratic) and Steve Hilton (Republican) are the two general-election candidates. Statewide races also include lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner and the nonpartisan superintendent of public instruction. Voters also decide their State Board of Equalization district’s contest.

Ridgecrest city elections: mayor and two council seats

For voters who live inside the incorporated City of Ridgecrest, local reporting on the November 3, 2026 municipal election identifies an open mayoral race and two at-large City Council seats. Residents of Inyokern, Johannesburg and Randsburg are outside Ridgecrest city limits; these municipal contests should not be assumed to appear on their ballots.

Mayor: Megan Washington and Jeremy “JV” Vaughan. The incumbent mayor, Travis Endicott, is not seeking another term. This is a nonpartisan city contest.

City Council — two seats: Brenda Licitra, John P. “Skip” Gorman (incumbent), Ron Strand, Debilyn Kinzler, Lawrence C. Gaceta and Tamara “Charlon” Bouyer, as reported in the regional candidate roundup. The official candidate name and spelling should be checked against Kern County Elections and the City Clerk before reproducing a ballot.

The Ridgecrest City Clerk oversees the city election process, while Kern County Elections provides the official ballot records. Candidate information above is independently attributed to 23ABC regional election reporting; the spelling of Jeremy Vaughan’s surname is also used on his campaign website. California58 makes no endorsement.

What other races appear on local ballots?

Ridgecrest is an incorporated city. City-level elections and measures, when scheduled, do not automatically appear on the ballots of neighbors in unincorporated communities. The Indian Wells Valley also spans communities with different local service arrangements. Eligible residents may also have a U.S. House race, their State Assembly race and, where their state Senate district is among those up in 2026, a state Senate race. County, city, school and special-district elections or measures are specific to the electoral districts involved.

There are also 14 statewide propositions, numbered 1–5 and 37–45. They concern topics including housing, state finances, taxes, health, election rules and environmental review. Read the official state proposition explanations.

Find the full Kern County guide

For the statewide candidate lineup, proposition topics and the regional election-office source, see California58’s Kern County Election 2026 guide. For a complete, legally authoritative list of local candidates and measures applicable to an actual residence, consult Kern County Elections and the official sample ballot.

Voting deadlines and free accessible guides

Register online by October 19 for the regular deadline at registertovote.ca.gov. Election Day is November 3, 2026; polls are open 7:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Check your county election office for your address-specific contests and any late-registration options.

The California Secretary of State offers a free official voter information guide in Spanish, audio, PDF and large-print formats. These official resources are separate from California58’s developing article narration feature.

This article does not claim that every municipal or school contest applies to every reader. California58 is independent of election officials. Questions or corrections: california58com@gmail.com.

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  1. Pingback: Kern County Election 2026: Governor Candidates, State Races and Your Local Ballot – California58