Baker County Pre-Election

Candidate introductions for Baker County positions took place on June 21st, 2026 at around nine p.m.. Each delegate spoke for approximately one minute among their competitors to introduce themselves, reinforce their visions for the county, and convince citizens of their qualifications the day prior to the nonpartisan county election. The crowd’s roars, cheering, and chanting could be heard throughout the night as fellow friends and citizens supported each candidate.

Running for the Baker County District Attorney position included Oscar Seem, William Te III, Samantha Bruns, and Julian Murillo. 

Julian Murillo

Seem started off by promising the county that no pollution or bad landlords would be permitted under his watch. Falsely imprisoned for 25 years, Seem’s grandfather inspired him to pursue a vision of justice, in which “rapists”, polluters, and so forth would face punishments and the innocent would prevail through exoneration. 

Similarly, Te III mentioned his vision of the courtroom, where citizens could come for lighthearted laughs in casual cases; however, delinquents would face public scrutiny in serious cases. Te supplements his candidacy with the law firm he recently founded while at the program.

Bruns ran on a platform of better defense for the people: a world where all citizens, regardless of background, receive the best possible effort from their district attorney. She shared her aspirations to become the next Elle Woods or Harvey Dent.

Murillo took a stance on arresting criminals. His oration outlined taking criminals down and keeping the county safe through his duty as attorney general. Murillo will serve the city by bringing relevant prosecutions.

Running for the Superintendent of Schools position included Ian Twisselman, Aremy B. Martinez Sosa, Chloe Jo, Ryan Park, and Kennedy Johnson. 

Ian Twisselman

Twisselman mentioned his love for children and placed an emphasis on free speaking. He believes in a world where teachers have the right to maintain their own curriculums, and students can thrive in smaller class sizes. Twisselman suggests two unique, unconventional classes to bring to the K-12 classroom as well: College Partying 101 and House Music. 

Sosa wants to make all student’s voices heard—on issues ranging from residence halls to county issues. She was previously on the Board of Education at her local school district, and has experience navigating issues involving students in the past. Sosa emphasizes that a “vote for me [her] is a vote for change!”

Jo wants to focus her efforts on fixing disparities in school district funding and exposing students to varying cultures in an effort to increase diversity. Jo’s experience attending eleven different schools since elementary schools provides her with necessary knowledge to address pertinent issues.

Kennedy Johnson

Park cares about school funding, teacher quality, and the education that students are receiving. As a former representative for LAUSD, he managed a multi-million dollar budget. Most notably, Park finishes off his speech with his slogan: “Park your vote for Ryan Park!”

Johnson wants to increase the representation of students in the school district, particularly students coming from rural backgrounds. She envisions a world where everyone is heard, and the issues that students care about are fought for.

The candidate pool for Baker County consists of California’s brightest, most sociable students that have taken initiative throughout their student careers. The race will likely be very close due to everyone’s tremendous skill, and many will find it difficult to make a choice. 

Writer: Matthew Wang

Edited By: Holden Kim

Final Checks: Shouryan Mohammed

Published By: Faid Kassim