Deadline to file for Kings County water board seats is Aug. 7

Candidates must file by August 7 for a slew of Kings County water board seats up for election this November.

Water boards and irrigation boards are responsible for flood control, recharge and developing large water projects. These boards also manage the delivery of surface water to farmers in the area.

In Kings County, six agencies have seats up for grabs in the November 3 general election.

In the Kings County Water District board seats representing districts 2, 3 and 4 seats are open, with three incumbents running. Incumbents David Stanfield, Chip Mello and Brian Medeiros are, so far, running uncontested.

Stanfield was appointed by the district in 2025 after board member Michael Murray resigned. Medeiros was appointed by the district earlier this year after board member Joe Freitas died.

The district cut ties with the Mid-Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) in 2024, initially throwing the region into chaos. But the district may now be on the road to mending that relationship and rejoining the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that makes up the GSA.

This is a key relationship as the Tulare Lake subbasin, which covers most of Kings County, is now in probation for lacking an adequate groundwater plan, per a 2024 ruling by the state Water Resources Control Board. If water managers can’t create a new plan that meets with state approval, the state could impose its own pumping limits.

A map of the district’s boundary can be found here.

Another water district race to watch could be the Laguna Irrigation District, which has three board seats up. So far, one incumbent has filed and one challenger.

In 2024, the Laguna board race generated headlines for several weeks as a hotly contested race generated two recounts.

In that race, challenger Wes Harmon accused the board of operating behind closed doors, not investing enough in recharge and catering to large landowners, such as John Vidovich, who controls Sandridge Partners LLC, which owns land in the district.

The board member he challenged, Frank Zonneveld, said the real problem was a small group of growers didn’t like how Laguna splits recharged groundwater supplies. Landowners who bring in recharge water are allowed to keep 70% but 30% is kept by the district in order to protect the aquifer.

Zonneveld won by a single vote.

Other water boards with open seats include: