John King, a Penngrove farmer, rancher and businessman, will challenge Supervisor David Rabbitt for Sonoma County's 2nd District supervisorial seat in the June 3 primary.
King, who first ran for supervisor in 2010, filed to run Friday, March 7, the last day for candidates to enter the race.
As Rabbitt's only challenger, King is vying to represent Sonoma County's 2nd District, which includes Petaluma, Cotati, a portion of Rohnert Park and the unincorporated communities of Penngrove, Two Rock and Bloomfield.
Beyond being a fourth generation farmer, 57-year-old King is also an experienced auditor in public accounting and a former loan officer for Small Business Administration. In his statement of qualifications, King wrote that his background and experience provides "a unique perspective on our business community no other candidate can match."
King is known within Sonoma County for his passionate stance on underground water supplies. He previously challenged development plans in Rohnert Park and successfully sued the city in 2002 to halt an annexation that he said threatened agricultural land and groundwater supplies.
In 2010, King placed fourth in the four-way supervisorial primary, and he was later unsuccessful in running as a write-in candidate in the November general election. Rabbitt won the November election against former Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt, and is now serving a second consecutive term as the Board of Supervisors' chairman.
In his statement of qualifications for the upcoming election, Rabbitt wrote about his work with pension reform, road maintenance and strengthening the local economy.
Rabbitt said he is proud of his accomplishments during his first term in office. When asked if his campaign strategy will change now that King has entered the race, Rabbitt said he's "looking forward to campaigning as hard as ever."
"I'm one of those people who likes going door to door," Rabbitt said. "I like to campaign."
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