Three in the Race for Two City Council Seats

Friday was the last day for candidates to file papers to run in November's city council race, and hours before the city clerk's doors closed, the race became competitive.

John Rankins, 64, became the third candidate to qualify for the ballot shortly after he filed his papers at City Hall midday on Friday. He'll face off against incumbents Kevin Mullin, South San Francisco's current mayor, and Richard Garbarino, vice mayor, in the race for two open council seats.

Rankins is a retired South San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department employee who moved to South City from San Bruno and year and a half ago. He said his top priorities are disaster preparedness and restoring agriculture in South San Francisco.

"The main issue is I’d like to work for the people; I’d like to keep the tradition of South City," Rankins said. "When I came to South City it was farms."

"There's a disaster coming to California," Rankins said. "You've got to plan for these things."

Rankins grew up in Mobile, Ala., and moved to the Bay Area in 1966, he said. He said he started working for the Parks and Recreation Department in 1983, where he was an arborist on the tree crew.

"I worked in the rain and never complained," Rankins said. "If they called me at four in the morning and said, 'Hey, Johnny, there’s a tree down,' I got dressed and took care of that."

Rankins still works as an aborist on the side and DJs parties under the name "Johnny Midnight."

Garbarino welcomed Rankins into the race.

"I’m glad it’s a three-person race," Garbarino said. "I’m looking forward to hearing his points on the issues, and I think it will make for an interesting campaign."

This is Rankins' first time running for office, and he said he anticipates a small campaign budget.

"I’m not a politician," Rankins said. "I give an honest day for an honest dollar."