Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King (pictured above) has launched a campaign for the U.S. Senate, joining a growing field of Republicans aiming to unseat Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff in the 2026 midterm elections, according to a report from AM Best.
King is the second GOP candidate to enter the race, following U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who announced his campaign on May 8. Carter represents Georgia’s 1st Congressional District.
King has served as Georgia’s top insurance regulator since 2019, when he was appointed to replace Jim Beck. Beck was suspended after being indicted on embezzlement charges related to his time at the Georgia Underwriting Association. He was later convicted of taking more than $2 million and sentenced in 2023 to more than six years in prison.
King was elected to a full term in 2022 and became the first Hispanic candidate in Georgia history to win statewide office. During his tenure, King has overseen regulatory matters involving insurance carriers, agents, and fire safety across the state. His office has been responsible for managing responses to severe weather events, addressing market disruptions, and overseeing insurance fraud investigations, according to the report.
King’s entry into the Senate race brings the perspective of a state-level insurance regulator to the campaign. His background includes policy oversight across the property/casualty and health insurance sectors, as well as engagement with the broader risk and reinsurance communities. He has also participated in national insurance regulatory forums and has worked with industry stakeholders on issues such as affordability and access to coverage.
Born in Mexico, King immigrated to the US at age 17 and later joined the Army National Guard. He retired in 2023 with the rank of major general after deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Africa, and the U.S.–Mexico border. He also brings four decades of law enforcement experience, beginning as an officer with the Atlanta Police Department and later serving as police chief of Doraville.
In announcing his Senate bid, King criticized Ossoff’s positions on several national policy issues and framed his campaign as a contrast to the incumbent’s record.
“He’s California’s third senator, not Georgia’s senior senator,” King said in a statement. “I’ve led troops in combat, been blown up by an IED in Iraq, and been shot and stabbed in the line of duty as a cop. A tough campaign doesn’t scare me; giving Jon Ossoff six more years in the Senate does.”
If elected, King would join a small group of former insurance commissioners who have moved on to serve in Congress. Current members include Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who once led Maine’s Department of Professional and Financial Regulation; Rep. Troy Downing (R-Mont.), elected in 2024 after serving as Montana’s commissioner of securities and insurance; and Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), who previously served as California’s insurance commissioner.
