Smith concedes in race for 3rd District supervisor
Brian Smith conceded defeat Monday night in the race for the 3rd District Kern County Board of Supervisors seat, leaving opponent
Jeff Flores the apparent winner with 52.51 percent of 39,916 ballots counted as of earlier in the day.
The retired assistant chief with the California Highway Patrol said he called and personally congratulated Flores, a local school board member and chief of staff for outgoing 3rd District Supervisor Mike Maggard.
“He increased the lead on me and so I called him and told he that he worked very hard,” said Smith, who as recently as Friday was trailing Flores by 3.5 percentage points. On Monday, Flores’ lead grew to slightly more than 5 points.
Flores said Smith was gracious during the concession call.
“We wished each other well. He was a total gentleman,” Flores said. “Very hard worker, worthy opponent.”
The two candidates, both top finishers in June’s three-way primary with former CEO Louis Gill of the Bakersfield Homeless Center and the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, had aligned on their top priorities of support for law enforcement and economic revitalization.
Flores is scheduled to assume his new position Jan. 9, a day before he will take over as chairman at his first board meeting. He noted the leadership role will be strictly coincidental as the chairmanship rotates among the board’s five districts.
He said the people of the district had spoken and that “there’s a lot of work to do.”
“I’m just so grateful for the vote, and to be on top, and to God the glory,” Flores said, adding that Smith had worked hard in the election campaign.
Smith expressed no regrets at having lost the election.
“I met some great people that I otherwise would have never met,” he said. “I just want to thank everybody. … It really meant a lot to me.”
We wished each other well. He was a total gentleman.” — Jeff Flores, apparent winner in 3rd District Board of Supervisors race