Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King talks about 2026 Senate campaign

Georgia Insurance Commissioner plans to run for senate

Georgia Insurance & Safety Fire Commissioner John King, the first Hispanic elected to a state office in Georgia, has announced he will run for one of the state's Senate seats in 2026.

ATLANTA - Georgia Insurance & Safety Fire Commissioner John King has become the latest Republican to announce his candidacy in the hopes of taking Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff's Senate seat.

King, the first Hispanic elected to a stateside office in Georgia, released a website announcing his campaign on Monday.

What we know:

The son of a World War II veteran, King was born in Mexico and moved to the United States as a teenager to learn English.

King is a retired major general in the U.S. Army National Guard and worked as an officer with the Atlanta Police Department before becoming the chief of police for Doraville.

Gov. Brian Kemp appointed King insurance commissioner in 2019 after Jim Beck, the former commissioner, was charged with fraud. He then won the seat in 2022 and has held it ever since.

What they're saying:

On his website, King touts himself as a "strong supporter of President Donald Trump and his agenda," highlighting his work at the southern border during the president's first term.

"I’m a lawman, soldier, and the first Hispanic elected statewide in Georgia history. Solving problems is what I do," King wrote on X. "Today I’m launching my campaign for the U.S. Senate. President Trump needs reinforcements and Georgia needs a new senator."

As part of his policy proposals, King says he supports a full audit of the Department of Defense and banning insider trading in Congress.

FOX 5 Atlanta's Deidra Dukes also interviewed King about his announcement on Monday.

He spoke about his relationship with President Trump and Gov. Kemp – two figures who have often found themselves at odds within the Republican Party – and said that he can be the bridge between the two teams. 

He also said that we have been able to solve some major problems in Georgia because there have been serious people running the state's government and he wants to take that to Washington. 

Dig deeper:

King's announcement comes a week after Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter became the first Republican to announce that he would be entering the race.

Gov. Brian Kemp previously announced that he would not run for the U.S. Senate in 2026 against Ossoff. Instead, the governor said he would remain actively involved in Georgia politics.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene hinted at wanted to run, but announced on Friday that she would not challenge Ossoff, saying that the Senate "doesn't work."

Other possibilities could include U.S. Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.