Bruce King

Infobox Governor


name = Bruce King
order2 = 25th Governor of New Mexico
predecessor2 = Jerry Apodaca
successor2 = Toney Anaya
term_start2 = 1979
term_end2 = 1983
order3 = 23rd Governor of New Mexico
predecessor3 = David F. Cargo
successor3 = Jerry Apodaca
term_start3 = 1971
term_end3 = 1975
order = 28th
office = Governor of New Mexico
term_start = 1991
term_end = 1995
lieutenant =
predecessor = Garrey Carruthers
successor = Gary E. Johnson
birth_date = Birth date and age|1924|4|6|mf=y
birth_place = New Mexico
death_date =
death_place =
party = Democrat
spouse =
profession = Businessman
religion =

Bruce King (born April 6, 1924, Stanley, New Mexico) was a three term Democratic governor of the state of New Mexico.

King served in the US Army during World War II. After the war, he attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

His career in politics began when he was elected to the Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners in 1954. He was re-elected and served as the chairman of the board during his second term. In 1959, he was elected to the New Mexico House of Representatives. He served five consecutive terms in the House and during three of his terms he was Speaker of the House.

From 1968 to 1969, King was chairman of the state Democratic Party. In 1969 he was also the president of the State Constitutional Convention.

In 1970, King was elected as governor. He defeated Republican Pete V. Domenici. He served as governor from 1971 to 1975, 1979 to 1983, and 1991 to 1995. King's terms were non-consecutive because the New Mexico constitution did not allow a governor to succeed him or her self prior to 1991. King became the first governor who could succeed himself and ran for re-election in 1994, but was defeated for a fourth term by Republican Gary E. Johnson.

Governor King was severely criticized by writer Roger Morris in "The Devil's Butcher Shop: The New Mexico Prison Uprising" for his mishandling of the New Mexico State Penitentiary Riot which led to the deaths of 33 inmates, although other estimates are higher. It has been suggested in this work that corruption and brutality tolerated under King's administration was a contributing factor the high level of violence in the riot.

Bruce King is the father of current New Mexico attorney general Gary King.

Bibliography

*Colvin, Mark (1982). "The 1980 New Mexico Prison Riot." "Social Problems" 29.
*Hirliman, George (2005). " Lincoln: iuniverse.
*King, Bruce (1998). "Cowboy in the Roundhouse: A Political Life". Santa Fe: Sunstone Press.
*Morris, Roger (1983). "The Devil's Butcher Shop" Albequerque: University of New Mexico Press.
*(1980). "New Report Describes Events Surrounding New Mexico Prison Riot." "New York Times". June 8.