KJ to Run for Mayor

According to AOL Sports, former Phoenix Suns guard Kevin Johnson is entering the Sacramento Mayor's race. KJ will be challenging three-term incumbent Heather Fargo in the municipal election this coming June.

From AOL Sports:

"We need a change in the city and I believe we need a change now," Johnson said. "As I went out the last month and talked to people around the city, folks have said to me they believe city government is nonresponsive, tired, uninspired and bureaucratic. They want something different in Sacramento. (They're) clamoring for change."

Fargo said she was "looking forward to holding my record up against his record. I think the voters will find more credibility and progress in my record than his."

"We've been making a lot of progress throughout the city," Fargo said. "He has a great image and a great star quality as a basketball player, but that's a far different job than being mayor of a city." (SOURCE)

Kevin Johnson has already been instrumental in bringing about a non-profit development project called St. Hope, which has transformed a lesser Sacramento High School into a successful charter school. St. Hope also created 40 Acres Art Gallery and Cultural Center, which includes a bustling book store, Starbucks and other commercial properties in the heart of Oak Park. Johnson had been cited for other properties which hadn't been developed up to par, but the former NBA star says he plans move ahead with these projects including a "Fresh & Easy" market.

Many people question whether pro athletes are qualified to run for public office. What many people fail to realize is there are many intelligent athletes out there who achieved college degrees and Masters degrees as fall back options. Two examples of publicly elected officials are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Governor Jesse Ventura. Both were involved in celebrity status and pop culture, with Arnold as a bodybuilder and Ventura as a wrestler, yet they easily made the transition. So Kevin Johnson could be the next mayor of Sacramento, paving the way for his former Suns' teammate Charles Barkley to run for governor.