Jasmeet Bains

Dr. Jasmeet Kaur Bains, a family physician and the first South Asian American woman and Sikh American elected to the California State Assembly, has represented the 35th Assembly District in Kern County since December 2022 ^[1,2]. Known as one of the most moderate Democrats in the Assembly, Bains has distinguished herself through a willingness to break with her party on key votes, a strong record on public safety and anti-fentanyl legislation, and a notable effort to establish a University of California medical school in Kern County to address the region's severe healthcare shortages ^[3,4,5]. With a 25% CFC Biblical Values Scorecard rating, Bains's voting record has frequently diverged from the California Family Council's worldview framework on the sanctity of life (Chapter 6), parental authority in education (Chapter 8), and religious liberty (Chapter 9).

Jasmeet Kaur Bains was born on July 2, 1985, in Delano, California, to Punjabi Sikh immigrants from India. Her father began his career as an auto mechanic and went on to own car dealerships, while her mother worked as a bookkeeper. Raised in an immigrant household rooted in faith, hard work, and sacrifice, Bains learned the values of service and community from her parents' example.

Bains was first elected to the California State Assembly in November 2022, defeating fellow Democrat and Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez with approximately 60 percent of the vote. She was re-elected in 2024, defeating Republican Robert Rosas with 57 percent. Her district, Assembly District 35, encompasses communities across Kern County including east Bakersfield, Delano, McFarland, Shafter, Wasco, and Arvin ^[1,3]. In her first legislative session in 2023, Dr.

Her 30.8% Biblical Values Scorecard rating across 104 scored floor votes reflects consistent divergence from CFC's worldview framework. Her voting record has supported abortion access expansion over the sanctity of human life, government-directed education over parental authority and school choice, and progressive social mandates over religious liberty protections.

Dr. Bains is widely regarded as one of the most moderate Democrats in the California Assembly, a reputation she has earned through a consistent willingness to vote her district's interests even when it puts her at odds with her own party. In April 2023, she was the sole Democrat to vote against Governor Newsom's bill targeting oil companies over gas price gouging, a vote that reflected Kern County's status as one of California's top oil-producing regions.