Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King, left, speaks with Colquitt County Administrator Chas Cannon, center, and state Rep. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie, during King's campaign stop in Moultrie Thursday morning.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King visited the Moultrie Welcome Center Thursday as part of his statewide campaign tour. 

King was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019 after the indictment and suspension of previous Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck. King is the first hispanic statewide office holder and his ties to Georgia run deep. 

He grew up in Mexico until he was 18 when he moved to Georgia, where his father has family in Nashville. He joined the Georgia National Guard where he served as part of a tank battalion in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and parts of Africa and rose to the rank of brigadier general.

He joined the Atlanta Police Department where he served seven and half years before becoming the Doraville police chief. During his time with the APD he was shot in the line of duty.

“I returned to service on walking foot patrol afterwards because of my love of serving the community. That has never wavered,” said King during his speech at the event.

King had no insurance experience when Kemp offered him the role of insurance commissioner but immediately accepted the role saying, “It (the insurance commissioner’s office) was adrift and you don’t say no to the governor.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the United States, King served both roles as an army brigadier general and as insurance commissioner.

“The Army called me up a few times to help get a handle on the situation. You should count yourself lucky because Georgia had a great handle on the situation,” stated King.

Kemp often brought King into the spotlight during the pandemic to convey messages to Georgia’s Latino population. 

During his speech, King attempted to convey the integrity he wishes to bring to the office.

“I will not waver in my ethics. I carry the weight of all the soldiers and officers I have lost under my command. I am a soldier and a law man. Insurance touches every industry in the state so I want to be able to do the same,” said King towards the end of the event.

During his speech, King also emphasized that in his short time he has been “working to cut expenses, combating fraud and restoring trust in the department.”

He hopes that with a full term he will be able to lower healthcare costs and insurance rates.

King will be up for election in 2022 and while there is no official opponent yet, Democratic state Rep. Matthew Wilson of Brookhaven has expressed interest in running against King.