Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King will kick off his 2022 campaign next week with a statewide tour. One of those stops will be in Bulloch County at Forest Heights Country Club.
Appointed by Governor Brian Kemp in July of 2019, King, who is the Peach State’s first Hispanic statewide constitutional officer, is seeking the Republican nomination and a full, four-year term.
A little bit about King:
Before becoming Doraville Chief of Police, Commissioner King served the Department in many capacities, including as a Detective and Deputy Chief over enforcement operations. Prior to that, Commissioner King was an Atlanta police officer beginning in 1985. While at the Atlanta Police Department, he worked various assignments including Red Dog, Organized Crime/Intelligence. Commissioner King’s career also includes assignments to both FBI and DEA as a Task Force Agent. In 1987, while at the Atlanta Police Department, King received the Chief’s Blue Star for being injured in the line of duty as a result of criminal attack with a firearm.
A native of Mexico, King made a meaningful impact by building bridges among Doraville’s diverse populations and implementing youth education and crime-prevention programs in his role as Chief of Police. Recognizing the international composition of Doraville’s community, King made it a priority to hire bilingual police officers, place multiple languages on police cars, and ensure effective translators and public defenders were employed at the City Courthouse. Commissioner King’s initiatives include Anti-Gang education programs for elementary school students and parents. He worked with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to establish an education program for prospective small business entrepreneurs and worked with state, county, and local leaders to implement a safety and speed reduction program targeted to Buford Highway to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities. Commissioner King is also a member of Leadership DeKalb.
In addition to his former roles in the Atlanta and Doraville Police Departments, King serves as a Major General in the U.S. Army National Guard assigned to U. S. Army North and Commander Task Force 51. King was the former Commander of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and has deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He served as the Military Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Interior for Security for Afghanistan, who oversaw an agency of over 96,000 police officers. Commissioner King has won many awards for military and public services, including the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal, and a NATO award for his service in both Bosnia and Afghanistan, among others. He also received the El Salvador gold medal for achievement in 2006.
King received his Bachelor’s of Arts degree in criminal justice and public administration from Brenau University and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. Commissioner King was a graduate of class #229 in the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA, and a graduate of the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange program to Israel (GILEE).
Commissioner King is also fluent in Spanish.
Planned Tour:
Monday, April 12, 2021
Bartow County – 3:00pm-4:00pm
Southern Muggs Coffee Shop–26 West Main Street Cartersville, GA
Floyd County – 6:00pm- -Campaign Kick-Off Event–210 East 2nd Avenue, Rome, GA
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Habersham County- 12:00pm-1:30pm
Country Crossroads Cafe — 4654 GA-115, Clarkesville, GA
*Closed to Press
Atlanta Fundraising Event
*Closed to Press
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Muscogee County – 12:00pm-2:00pm
Chattahoochee River Club1100 Bay Avenue, Columbus, GA
*Closed to the Press
Dougherty County – 3:30pm-4:30pm
Shackleford House–1801 Dawson Rd, Albany, GA
Irwin County – 6:30pm-8:30pm
141 Briarwood Rd Fitzgerald, GA*
Closed to Press
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Colquitt County – 9:00am-10:00am–Welcome Center 31 E Central Ave Moultrie, GA
Cook County – 12:00pm-1:30pm–Horse Creek Winery 101 Roundtree Bridge Rd, Sparks, GA
Clinch County – 3:00pm-4:30pm –Homerville Depot40 E Plant Ave, Homerville, GA
Lowndes County – 6:30pm-8:30pm–Jessie’s Restaurant and Catering 205 N Ashley St, Valdosta, GA
*Closed to Press
Friday, April 15, 2021
Chatham County – 8:30am-10:00am–B. Matthew’s Eatery (upstairs)–325 E. Bay Street, Savannah, GA
Bulloch County – 12:00pm-1:30pm –Forest Heights Country Club 3772 Country Club Rd, Statesboro, GA
Laurens County – 3:00pm-4:30pm–Trey Taylor’s Law Office– 1006 Bellevue Ave. Dublin, GA
