Key Facts
Background
Brian Smith served as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and received a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the Marine Corps Institute. He is a retired California Highway Patrolman and most recently served as Assistant Chief. He is currently the co-coordinator and Captain of the Cops team for the Kern County Ice Hockey charity team and writes weekly articles for newspapers and social media called “Cop Tales”. Smith has also worked as a Criminal Justice Adjunct Professor at two community colleges. He is a member of the National Rifle Association, the Marine Corps League, and Kern Bridges Group Home and a board member for the Kern County Law Enforcement Foundation and the Public Safety Professionals Retreat [1].
Smith lives in Bakersfield with his wife Nancy, and has nine children and twelve grandchildren [1].
Key Issues
Public Safety
Smith wants to ensure law enforcement patrols, substations, and jails are well-funded. He wants to repeal Proposition 47 (changes to felony sentencing laws) and AB109 (individuals convicted of non-serious, non-violent, non-sex offenses report to county probabtion officers rather than state parole) [1, 7].
Budget
Smith opposes raising taxes or implementing new taxes. He wants to evaluate county departments to identify overlapping or redundant services [1].
Gun Policy
Smith opposes restricting gun ownership. He wants to streamline concealed carry permits for crime victims [1].
Energy
Smith supports the oil industry in Kern County and wants to increase oil production and local control regarding decisions about oilfields [1].
Homelessness
Smith opposes additional funding to aid homeless individuals. He wants to increase funding for law enforcement to arrest homeless individuals who possess illegal substances or pose a threat to others [5].
Government
Smith supports establishing term limits for the Kern County Board of Supervisors [5].
Economy
Smith wants state budget surpluses to be used to aid businesses [5].
Environment
Smith supports carbon capture and sequestration [7].
Endorsements
Kern Law Enforcement Association; Kern County Firefighters; Kern County Detention Officer Association; Bakersfield Police Officer Association; Shafter Police Officer Association; Peace Officer Research Association of California; California Reserve Peace Officers Association; California Narcotics Association; California Association of Highway Patrolman; Bakersfield CHP Squad Club; Buttonwillow CHP Squad Club; Fort Tejon CHP Squad Club; Carl Sparks, Kern County Sheriff (ret); Brandon Martin, Esq., Attorney and Former D3 Planning Commissioner; John Pryor, Risk Management Expert & Kern County Republican of the Year 2020; Michael de Geus, Former Secret Service Agent to President Trump; Tom Lackey, California State Assembly Member; Keith Gardner, Almond Farmer; Rex Parris, Mayor of Lancaster; Robert Parris, Attorney-At-Law; Robert Pine, Actor; Richard Desmond, Sacramento County Supervisor; Orchel Krier, Taft City Council; Ed Jagels, Kern County District Attorney, ret.; Charlie Fivecoat, KCSO Commander/Shafter Chief of Police, ret.; Mack Wimbish, Former Kern County Sheriff; Bill Rector, Bakersfield Police Chief, ret.; Greg Williamson, Bakersfield Police Chief, ret.; Spike Helmick, Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, ret.; Jim Smith, Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, ret.; Greg Augusta, Assistant Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, ret.; Scott Silsbee, Deputy Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, ret.; John Fogerty, Chief, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Ray Blackwell, Chief, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Brent Newman, Chief, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Jim Abrames, Chief, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Mick Rotondo, Assistant Chief, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Steve Badilla, Assistant Chief, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Bill Nation, Commander, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Terry Roberts, Commander, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Ed Ederra, Lieutenant, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Jerry Barker, Lieutenant, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Greg “GW” Williams, Public Affairs Officer, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Michael Yraceburn, Supervisor, Kern County District Attorney, ret.; Michael Tracy, Mayor of Ventura and Chief of Police, ret.; Vince Calderon, Founder of the Latino Peace Officer Association; Jon Johnson, Mayor of Shafter, ret.; Gilbert Alverado, Shafter City Councilman; Cesar Lopez, Shafter City Councilman; Eddie Brock, Chief Law Enforcement Professional; Randy Harden, Owner Jim’s Tow; Risto Rubio, Business Owner/Former President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Joe Gregory, Business Owner/Grapevine Technology; Tracy Kiser, Business Owner; Daures Stephens, KCSO Investigator (ret)/Past American Legion Commander; Lisa Stephens, Director Serro Coso Community College; Paul Willett, Bakersfield Condors Ice Hockey Player and Coach; Mike Cody, Kern County Fire Department Chief, ret.; Nick Dunn, Kern County Fire Department Chief, ret.; Cameron (Barney) Paulden, Captain Bakersfield Fire Department; Rick Stevens, Business Owner/Stevens Trucking; Jim Damian, Business Owner/Stria; Vince Maiocco, President California Taft Republican Assembly; Jeff Salters, Owner Salty’s; Dave Kuge, Chief of Kern County Probation Department, ret.; Jerry Barker, California Highway Patrol, ret.; Jim Huff, Business Owner; Tom Sheets, Past President Kern County Law Enforcement Foundation; Kyle Carter and Kim Carter, KCCD Trustee, Homebuilder, Owners of the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame; Paul Sheldon, Insurance Business Owner; Joaquin Revelo, Law Office of J Arturo Revelo; Beverly Taylor, Chief, Santa Barbara Probation Department, ret.; Michael John Vendrasco, Kern County Deputy District Attorney; Stephen Austin, Attorney-At-Law; Clarence Hosey, KCSO Deputy, ret.; Mike Lynch, Wasco City Council / National Chief of Chaplains; Ray Pruitt, KCSO Public Affairs Officer, ret.; Craig Harrison, Transition Specialist; David King, Vice Mayor of Buellton; Corporal Wes Leon-Barrientos, US Army Veteran; Dennis Beaver, Attorney; Brandon Smith, Battalion Chief, Fire Department; Rafael Acosta Melendez, Former Mayor of McFarland, US Army M/Sgt, ret.; Joe Aguirre, Mayor of Delano; Ramon Cardinas, Delano Elementary School Board; Tilo Cortez, Former Mayor of Wasco; Jim Lombardi, Retired Los Angeles Police Department, Current President of CRPOA; Chris Branson, Veteran and Business Owner; Amanda Esposito, Business Owner
Sources
1 Campaign Website
2 Ballotpedia
3 Facebook
4 KGET
5 23ABC
6 Bakersfield.com
7 Bakersfield.com
8 Voters Edge