Kerns makes it official: He won’t run in 2010

<p>Mike Kerns, supervisor of Sonoma County’s 2nd District since 1999, has decided not to run for re-election in 2010.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>“I’ve been thinking long and hard about this for a while, and think that it’s time to step down. I’ve been in public service in Sonoma County for a long time — since 1978,” he said.</p><p>Kerns, 62, moved to Petaluma in 1978, when he became an officer for the Petaluma Police Department. He was promoted to sergeant two years later, and remained in the post until he retired in 1998. The following year, he began the first of three consecutive terms on the Board of Supervisors.</p><p>He will serve the rest of his term, which ends in December 2010, although his seat will be up for election in June 2010.</p><p>“We’re about one year away from the primary election, and by announcing now (rather than later) that I won’t be running, I’m giving people interested in the seat more time to campaign for it,” Kerns said.</p><p>Although the election is in June 2010, Kerns said the seat might not be decided upon until December.</p><p>“It will depend on the number of candidates running. If several candidates run, it will be difficult for any of them to garner the required 50 percent of the vote, so there probably would be a runoff election in November 2010,” he said.</p><p>He feels that one of the board’s main achievements during his years of service was acquiring Tolay Lake Regional Park.</p><p>“I’m very proud of that,” he said. “It will eventually be the jewel of regional parks in the area, and combined with the Roche Ranch property, it will be the largest regional park in the area.”</p><p>Kerns’ wife, Carol, has been urging him to retire, but he’s not sure what he’ll do when the time comes.</p><p>“I want to play more golf, and get more exercise. I need to lose some weight,” he said.</p><p>(Contact Dan Johnson at dan.johnson@arguscourier.com)</p>