Rawlson O'Neil King[3] is a Canadian politician, who was elected to Ottawa City Council in a by-election on April 15, 2019[4] and re-elected October 24, 2022.[5] King is the city's first-ever Black Canadian city councillor.
King served as president of the Overbrook Community Association, a board member at the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre, and co-chair of the Ottawa Police Service Community Equity Council before his election to Council.[4] He won a United Way Ottawa Community Builder of the Year Award in 2018.[8]
In his successful by-election bid, King was endorsed by a number of high-profile progressives in Ottawa. Once elected, King identified his priorities as developing a poverty reduction strategy for impoverished neighbourhoods; working to improve roads, public transit and social services; and improving the relationship of people of colour with the police.[10]
During his first term, King served as Chair of the Built Heritage Sub-Committee and on the Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management. He also served on the boards of Crime Prevention Ottawa, Ottawa Community Housing Corporation, Ottawa Community Lands Development Corporation and Quartier Vanier BIA. He was formerly on the Ottawa Police Services Board, before resigning in protest following the removal of board chair Diane Deans in the wake of Ottawa "Freedom Convoy".[11]
To advance anti-racism and race relations initiatives in 2020, King was appointed Council Liaison for Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Relations Initiatives, where he was successful in establishing an anti-racism office and the city's first anti-racism strategy.[12]
He was re-elected in a landslide victory in 2022 with over 80 percent of the popular vote in a four-person field and a 72 percent margin of victory.[13]
During his second term, King was appointed Chair of the Built Heritage Committee and served on the Finance and Corporate Services Committee, Environment and Climate Change Committee, and the Community Services Committee. He was also appointed to the boards of Ottawa Public Health, the Ottawa Public Library and Quartier Vanier BIA. King was also reappointed Council Liaison for the City’s Anti-Racism and Ethnocultural Relations Initiatives, leading the implementation of the City of Ottawa's Anti-Racism Strategy.
2022 Ottawa municipal election: Rideau—Rockcliffe[15]
Candidate
Popular vote
Expenditures
Votes
%
±%
Rawlson King (X)
8,481
80.14
+61.78
$23,200
Clayton Fitzsimmons
859
8.12
$650
Peter Jan Karwacki
716
6.77
+6.19
$178.54
Peter Zanette
527
4.98
$131.01
Total valid votes
10,583
94.36
Total rejected, unmarked and declined votes
633
5.64
Turnout
11,216
39.74
+2.59
Eligible voters
28,220
Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.) and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.