BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- The candidates vying to represent Bakersfield's Ward 2 in the city council will take the debate stage Tuesday night. Vice Mayor Andrae Gonzales and businessman Michael Cardenas will debate the issues affecting Bakersfield residents including homelessness and crime. Andrae Gonzales is the incumbent in the race. In a candidate profile this week he said he's running for re-election to the Bakersfield City Council Ward 2 seat because there's so much left to do. Gonzales first took office in 2016. Valadao, Salas spar over issues in debate for CA’s 22nd Congressional District seat Michael Cardenas is relatively new to Bakersfield. He moved to Bakersfield from the Los Angeles area 2019. He is a businessman but is familiar with Kern County. He said growing up, he would come and visit the Kern River Valley for fishing trips with family. In a profile this week, Cardenas said he first entered Bakersfield politics by seeing the seat not being contested. The incumbent was not challenged in 2020. "I thought to myself 'That's just not right,'" he said. "I felt obligated to give it a try." He attended city council meetings and got caught up on the process. The debate begins at 7 p.m. and streamed tonight on this page.