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Karen Goh

Independent · Mayor of Bakersfield · California · Spectrum score +7

Mayor · Nonpartisan / not on file ·

Karen Goh is Mayor of Bakersfield in California. Political positions and ideology score +7 (Center). Karen K.

Wikipedia: Background

Salary: —

Where Karen stands on the spectrum

Karen Goh scores +7 on Spectrum’s left–right line (center), mixed on economic issues and mixed on social issues. The number is modeled from twelve issue positions and the public record — not a poll and not a party label.

Composite +7 · Center · economic +4 · social +8 · authoritarian +6

Confidence 68. How we calculate scores →

Background & record

Karen K. Goh is an American politician and non-profit organization executive serving as the 26th and current mayor of Bakersfield, California. Before becoming mayor of Bakersfield, Goh was a non-profit executive at Garden Pathways. Goh is Bakersfield's first mayor of Asian descent. Goh defeated her opponent Kyle Carter with 52.75% of the votes. Goh was elected into office during November 2016, and was re-elected…

Local file. No DW-NOMINATE, no STOCK Act table. The score is a party-and-record estimate. Contact is from the public office listing.

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Odds

Polymarket · Kalshi

Implied probability from open contracts. Real money, not a poll. Updates while you sit here.

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Issue detail

−100 left pole · +100 right pole

Economic: +4
Social: +8
Authoritarian: +6
Confidence: 68

Taxes & spending+6
Lower taxes, smaller fiscal footprint
Health care-6
Public or single-payer coverage as a right
Climate & energy+4
Energy abundance, fewer climate mandates
Business regulation+10
Deregulation and lighter administrative state
Labor & wages+8
Flexible labor markets, right-to-work
Immigration+14
Tighter borders, more deportations
Abortion-8
Legal access, opposed to bans
Guns+10
Broad Second Amendment, fewer federal limits
Crime & policing+20
More policing, longer sentences, less bail reform
Schools & speech+8
Choice, against gender/DEI curricula
Defense & alliances+18
Hard power, high defense spending, deterrence
Civil liberties+6
Order, platform / campus / speech restrictions for security or morality

No roll-call first dimension on file — issues only.

Compass

Auth · leftAuth · rightLib · leftLib · rightAuthoritarianLibertarianEconomic leftEconomic right

Sources

Ballotpedia, mayors of the 100 largest cities, August 2026
en.wikipedia.org
Local contact is from the public office listing. Scores are modeled, not a roll-call.