Bruce King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce King
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 23rd, 25th and 28th Governor of New Mexico | |
| In office January 1, 1991 – January 1, 1995 |
|
| Lieutenant | Casey Luna |
| Preceded by | Garrey Carruthers |
| Succeeded by | Gary Johnson |
| In office January 1, 1979 – January 1, 1983 |
|
| Lieutenant | Roberto Mondragón |
| Preceded by | Jerry Apodaca |
| Succeeded by | Toney Anaya |
| In office January 1, 1971 – January 1, 1975 |
|
| Lieutenant | Roberto Mondragón |
| Preceded by | David Cargo |
| Succeeded by | Jerry Apodaca |
| Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives | |
| In office 1959–1970 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 6, 1924 Stanley, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Died | November 13, 2009 (aged 85) Stanley, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Resting place | Stanley Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Alice King (1947–2008, her death) |
| Children | Gary King |
| Alma mater | University of New Mexico |
| Profession | Businessman politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Bruce King (born April 6, 1924 – died November 13, 2009) was an important American businessman and politician. He served three times as the governor of New Mexico. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Bruce King was the longest-serving governor in New Mexico's history. He served a total of 12 years.
Contents
Who Was Bruce King?
Bruce King was born on April 6, 1924, in Stanley, New Mexico. He grew up there and later became a well-known leader.
His Early Life and Start in Politics
Bruce King served in the U.S. Army during World War II. This was a very important time in history. After the war, he went to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
King's journey in politics began in 1954. He was elected to the Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners. He was re-elected and even became the chairman of the board.
In 1959, he was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives. He served five terms there. During three of those terms, he was the Speaker of the House. This means he was the leader of the House. From 1968 to 1969, King led the state's Democratic Party. In 1969, he also served as president of the State Constitutional Convention.
Becoming Governor of New Mexico
In 1970, Bruce King was elected as governor. He won against Republican Pete Domenici. He served as the 23rd, 25th, and 28th Governor of New Mexico. His terms were from 1971 to 1975, 1979 to 1983, and 1991 to 1995.
His terms were not one after another. This was because of a rule in New Mexico. Before 1991, governors could not serve two terms in a row. This rule is called a term limit.
After the term limit rules changed, King became the first governor who could run for re-election right away. He ran again in 1994. However, he was defeated by Republican businessman Gary Johnson.
His Family Life
Bruce King was married to his wife, Alice, for 61 years. She passed away in 2008. Their son, Gary King, also became a politician. He served as the New Mexico Attorney General from 2007 to 2015.
Bruce King passed away on November 13, 2009. He was 85 years old. He died in his hometown of Stanley, New Mexico.
