A Bakersfield Assemblymember’s decision to leave Sacramento for good could ripple through a competitive Central Valley race.

It is one and done for state Assemblymember Stan Ellis, R-Bakersfield.

He announced he will not seek re-election after his term expires in December 2026.

“I’ve seen how the system works, and the system is broken,” Ellis told 23 ABC in Bakersfield.

Ellis won a special election to the 32nd Assembly District seat earlier this year, replacing Vince Fong, who won a seat in Congress. The district covers parts of Kern, Tulare, and Fresno counties.

“It’s terrible time management, it’s bureaucracy at its worst, and it is sad to me that the state of California and the working man have been misled,” Ellis said.

Kern County Supervisor David Couch, R-Bakersfield, announced he will run to succeed Ellis. Couch already filed to run for a state Senate seat, occupied by Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, who is also termed out in 2026.

Couch’s decision could benefit the two other active candidates in the race for the 12th District seat which covers Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties.

Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, R-Clovis, and businessman Michael Maher, R-Kingsburg, are also running.

“He is my friend. I wish him well in his Assembly race,” Magsig said.

Since 43% of the district’s registered voters live in Kern County — a plurality — it’s possible another Kern County contender could emerge.

Tangipa Wants Insurance Commissioner Out

Assemblyman David Tangipa, R-Clovis, wants the state’s insurance commissioner to broker his own exit.

“Ricardo Lara has shown a stunning disregard for the people he’s supposed to serve. As families across the state struggle to keep up with skyrocketing premiums and an unstable insurance market, Lara has been jetting off on taxpayer-funded vacations — including stays at five-star resorts, limo rides, and even an African safari,” Tangipa said in a news release this week.

Tangipa based his accusations on an ABC7 San Francisco investigation. Lara allegedly spent tens of thousands of dollars on trips to New York, South Africa and other destinations — raising questions about whether those expenses were related to his official duties.

The Fair Political Practices Commission, the state agency charged with enforcing campaign finance rules and ethics, is investigating, ABC7 reported.

“Ricardo Lara has made his priorities clear, and they don’t include the people of California. If he’d rather spend his time on vacation than doing his job, then he should step aside and pursue that full time. It’s time for Lara to resign,” Tangipa said.

Lara Denies Allegations

Lara’s office vehemently denied any wrongdoing, criticizing ABC7’s reporting.

In a lengthy statement sent to GV Wire, a Lara spokesperson said the insurance commissioner works hard, resulting in growth of insurance companies in California.

“The story you mentioned conveniently ignores this context. It’s based on incomplete reporting and contains numerous false claims,” press secretary Gabriel Sanchez said.

Among the denials, Lara’s office said:

• Every trip has a direct business purpose.
• The California Highway Patrol provides dignitary protection, and they are not “private security.”
• “Calling this ‘private security’ is an insult to sworn peace officers dedicated to upholding their duties as part of the CHP’s dignitary protection unit that protects California’s statewide elected officials,” Sanchez said.
• The trip to South Africa lasted five days, not two-and-a-half weeks as reported by ABC7.
• Any personal excursions were paid for by Lara, and not the department/taxpayers.
• Attendance at Pride events was a legitimate function.
• Any missing records claimed by ABC7 is kept by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and not the state.

The complete email response can be read here.

Karbassi Prevails in Latest Court Round with Soria

A sitting Assemblymember will not be allowed to file a countersuit alleging defamation against another elected official, a judge ruled.

Fresno City Councilmember Mike Karbassi has an ongoing defamation  lawsuit against former council colleague and current Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria. He alleges a Soria campaign mailer lied about him.

The mailers date back to 2022 when both ran for state Assembly. Soria ultimately won and remains in office today.

Soria wanted to countersue, but needed the court’s permission to do so. Fresno County Superior Court Judge Lisa Gamoian denied Soria’s request in a ruling issued Monday.

In legal briefings, Soria said she waited to file while waiting on an appellate court decision, and additional discovery. Gamoian wasn’t buying it.

“Defendant knew the content of the campaign mailers targeting her without such discovery. As such, delaying well over a year in pursuing a defamation cross-complaint against Plaintiff demonstrates bad faith,” Gamoian wrote.

Despite being a licensed attorney since 2012, Soria’s attorneys said she lacked specific knowledge of defamation law when she testified in a deposition that Karbassi did not defame her during the campaign.

A jury trial in Karbassi’s lawsuit is scheduled to begin Dec. 1, 2025.