File photos. 

The filing period for the upcoming June primary election, in which Don Knabe’s Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors position will be up for grabs, began today.

Knabe, who has represented the Fourth District (from the South Bay to Long Beach and as far east as Downey) since 1996, is barred from seeking re-election because of term limits and has endorsed his senior deputy, former mayor of Manhattan Beach, Steven Napolitano.

Congresswoman Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro) announced her candidacy for Knabe’s seat last year, saying she could do more for the Los Angeles region on the Board of Supervisors than in Congress, stating that “Washington is broken” and “increasingly mired in political gridlock,” with “virtually zero cooperation between the two parties.”

Napolitano said he would “re-think, reinvent and re-engage LA County.”

“I’m running to keep our neighborhoods safe, promote jobs and economic growth, protect our environment and make L.A. County work better, smarter and harder for all of us,” Napolitano said.

Meanwhile, former mayor of Redondo Beach Mike Gin announced his candidacy as well. He hopes to become the first openly gay man and Asian American on the board.

“I believe we are at a critical time for Los Angeles County and we need leadership that will reflect the spirit of partnership, independence from special interests and most importantly accountability and commitment to the people of Los Angeles County,” Gin said in declaring his candidacy on February 18, 2015.

The vacancy of Hahn’s congressional seat spurred State Senator Isadore Hall III (D-Compton), to run for her seat and former assemblymember Steve Bradford (D-Gardena) to run for Hall’s seat.

District Attorney Jackie Lacey will also seek a second term in the June 7 primary. Other contested positions up for election include the seat held by Barbara Boxer, who is not seeking re-election, all of California’s 53 congressional seats, 20 of the 40 state Senate seats and all 180 State Assembly seats.

The filing period will be closed March 11, but extended to March 16 for offices in which no incumbent files. The extension exempts offices where the incumbent cannot seek re-election because of term limits.