Bruce King

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 Comissioners 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. In 1994, King was defeated for a fourth term by Republican Gary E. Johnson.

Governor King was severly 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 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.