Taft Council: Gregory Holds Third Position by 19 Votes Over Leikam

TAFT, Kern County. — November 5, 2026. In the election for three Taft City Council seats, Kern County’s preliminary count gives Josh Bryant 595 candidate selections (28.62%), Ron Waldrop 411 (19.77%), Jeremy Gregory 391 (18.81%) and Bob Leikam 372 (17.89%). The difference between Gregory in the third reported position and Leikam in fourth is only 19 selections.

Full field and the meaning of percentages

Dennis Schertz received 310 selections (14.91%), placing fifth in the county’s election-night report. The 2,079 total across five candidates counts selections, not individual voters, since voters could choose up to three names. Thus Bryant’s 28.62% is a share of candidate votes, not the proportion of all registered Taft residents who supported him.

Why three seats change the way to read the race

In a single-seat election, the leading candidate is the only potential winner. Here, the first three positions are relevant, so the narrow race between the third and fourth positions merits attention even if first place has a substantially larger total. Early leads can still change as valid additional mail and provisional ballots complete the canvass.

City governance after the vote

The Taft council deals with local budgets, development, streets, municipal services and ordinances. It is separate from Kern County special-district and school boards. The Kern elections page lists six of six precincts initially reporting but does not label any candidate a certified winner; the newspaper is maintaining that distinction.

Sources: Kern County Elections Division, November 3 general election, unofficial election-night report issued November 4, 2026 at 2:55:39 a.m. Pacific; related California58 reports linked above. Numbers are not certified. Reported precinct completion does not mean every lawful ballot has been counted.

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