On November 6, voters head to the polls to pick a president, members of the congress, local legislators, and a number of state propositions and local measures. This 17 News in-depth political debate is to help inform you about our two local candidates for California's newly-drawn 23rd Congressional District where Kevin McCarthy squares off against independent Terry Phillips.
In 2002, Congressman McCarthy was elected and the fist freshmen legislator and first from Kern County to serve as the Republican leader. Congressman McCarthy is a Bakersfield native.
Terry Phillips grew up in the Bay Area and lived in Bakersfield since 2004. Phillips is a journalist who has covered world affairs including the collapse of the Soviet Union and armed conflicts. He was also a senior executive for Omnipoint, a wireless telecommunications provider. He is a graduate of Santa Clara University and studied at McGeorge Law School in Sacramento.