Rawlson King facts for kids

Rawlson O'Neil King is a Canadian politician who helps lead the city of Ottawa. He was first elected to the Ottawa City Council in 2019 and then again in 2022. He made history as the first Black Canadian to become a city councillor in Ottawa.

About Rawlson King's Early Life

Rawlson King was born and grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He went to Bayview Glen School. His parents were teachers who came from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. His father was born in Aruba.

King studied at Carleton University. He earned two degrees there: one in journalism with legal studies, and another in communication.

Community Work Before Politics

Before becoming a city councillor, Rawlson King was very active in his community. He was the president of the Overbrook Community Association. He also served on the board of the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre.

King was also a co-chair of the Ottawa Police Service Community Equity Council. This group works to make sure the police treat everyone fairly. In 2018, he received a special award called the United Way Ottawa Community Builder of the Year Award for all his hard work.

Rawlson King's Journey in Politics

Rawlson King became the city councillor for the Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward in 2019. He won a special election held to fill the spot after the previous councillor, Tobi Nussbaum, left.

First Attempts to Get Elected

King had tried to become a councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe before, in the 2010 city election. He also ran for a spot on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in the 2018 election. He didn't win in those earlier attempts.

Winning the By-election

When he ran in the 2019 special election, many important people in Ottawa supported him. After he won, King shared his main goals. He wanted to create a plan to help reduce poverty in neighborhoods that needed it most. He also aimed to improve roads, public transportation, and social services. Another important goal was to improve the relationship between people of color and the police.

Key Roles in His First Term

During his first term as councillor, Rawlson King had several important jobs. He was the Chair of the Built Heritage Sub-Committee. This committee helps protect old and important buildings in the city. He also served on the Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management.

King was also part of several boards, including Crime Prevention Ottawa and Ottawa Community Housing Corporation. He was on the Ottawa Police Services Board for a time. However, he resigned from that board after a big event in Ottawa, showing his strong beliefs.

Leading Anti-Racism Efforts

In 2020, Rawlson King was given a special role: Council Liaison for Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Relations Initiatives. In this role, he worked hard to fight racism in the city. He successfully helped create an anti-racism office and Ottawa's first plan to fight racism.

Re-election and Second Term

Rawlson King was re-elected in 2022 with a very large number of votes. He won with over 80 percent of the votes, showing how much support he had from the community.

In his second term, King continued to take on important roles. He was appointed Chair of the Built Heritage Committee again. He also served on committees dealing with finance, climate change, and community services. He joined the boards of Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Public Library. King was also reappointed to lead the city's anti-racism efforts, guiding the plan to make Ottawa a more fair and equal place for everyone.

King also supported Yasir Naqvi when he ran to become the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in 2023.

Rawlson King's Election Results

Rawlson King has participated in several elections. Here's a look at how he performed:

2022 Ottawa City Election

In the 2022 election for Rideau-Rockcliffe, Rawlson King won by a large margin.

• Rawlson King (Incumbent): 8,481 votes (80.14%)
• Clayton Fitzsimmons: 859 votes (8.12%)
• Peter Jan Karwacki: 716 votes (6.77%)
• Peter Zanette: 527 votes (4.98%)

2019 Rideau-Rockcliffe By-election

In the special election held in 2019, Rawlson King won against many other candidates.

• Rawlson King: 1,529 votes (18.36%)
• Jamie Kwong: 1,406 votes (16.88%)
• Penny Thompson: 851 votes (10.22%)
• Marc Dorgeville: 794 votes (9.53%)
• Sheila Perry: 742 votes (8.91%)
• Maurice Lamirande: 708 votes (8.5%)
• Johan Hamels: 665 votes (7.98%)
• Kasia Adamiec: 507 votes (6.09%)
• Chris Penton: 441 votes (5.29%)
• Oriana Ngabirano: 247 votes (2.97%)
• Patrick Mayangi: 135 votes (1.62%)
• Miklos Horvath: 89 votes (1.07%)
• Peter Heyck: 58 votes (0.7%)
• Peter Jan Karwacki: 48 votes (0.58%)
• Jerry Kovacs: 46 votes (0.55%)
• Idris Ben-Tahir: 35 votes (0.42%)
• Bruce A. Faulkner: 29 votes (0.35%)

2018 Ottawa School Board Election

In 2018, Rawlson King ran for a trustee position on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

• Sandra Schwartz (Incumbent): 7,265 votes (74.31%)
• Rawlson King: 2,511 votes (25.69%)

2010 Ottawa City Election

In the 2010 election for Rideau-Rockcliffe, Rawlson King was one of several candidates.

• Peter D. Clark: 2,722 votes (25.84%)
• Maurice Lamirande: 1,835 votes (17.42%)
• Sheila Perry: 1,709 votes (16.22%)
• Bruce Poulin: 1,695 votes (16.09%)
• Richard Cannings: 1,333 votes (12.65%)
• Corry Burke: 438 votes (4.16%)
• Rawlson King: 380 votes (3.61%)
• Pierre Maheu: 224 votes (2.13%)
• Harley Collison: 129 votes (1.22%)
• James Parker: 69 votes (0.66%)