There's a new candidate in the race for Bakersfield's 5th Ward City Council seat. Last week, Ryan Nance collected the 20 valid petition signatures needed to qualify as a write-in candidate.
Ryan Nance is 38. He's a carpenter, married, with two children, and has no previous government experience aside from working with the Parks and Recreation Department on plans to expand a local skate park.
Nance says he decided to run for the 5th Ward seat after the city council voted to do away with a prevailing wage requirement on city-funded public works projects.
"As I looked at the city council, I realized I didn't feel like it was a well-rounded city council. So I'm a carpenter by trade, and I feel that if I were elected that I, a carpenter and a builder, would do the city well," said Nance on why he's running.
"My top priority, if elected, is to give the Bakersfield City Council a good, well-rounded perspective. There's accountants, consultants, and businessmen. I don't see lay persons on the city council. So that's what I would bring. I have a completely different perspective when it comes to actually building this city," he added.
On his personal credentials, Nance said, "The personal qualities that make me the best candidate would be that I've built this town for roughly 20 years. That's bridges, schools, and waste water treatment plants. I'm familiar with citizens of this town, and I've been on the Board of Directors of the Carpenter's Hall and the board of a church. I'm familiar with the way meetings are run and how to get things done and how to actually build a good city. So that's the unique goal I would bring."
Ryan Nance is running against 5th Ward councilman Harold Hansen who is seeking his fourth term on the Bakersfield City Council.
Again, you won't see Nance's name on the election ballot because he is a write-in candidate.
