JAMES E. "JIM" KING, JR.
FLORIDA STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 8

Jim King was elected in 1999 to represent Florida Senate District 8, which includes all of Flagler and parts of Duval, St. Johns, Volusia, and Nassau Counties. Prior to being elected to the Senate, he served for 12 years in the Florida House of Representatives, holding key leadership positions as House Majority Leader and Chairman of the House General Appropriations Committee and Fiscal Responsibility Council.

A well-known "rags to riches" Jacksonville businessman who made his mark in personnel recruiting, temporary help and employee testing industries, Jim King has achieved an outstanding record of success during his tenure in the Legislature. Jim's "tell it like it is" attitude has won him numerous accolades by constituents, lobbyists, and fellow politicians and you will never have to guess where he is on an issue. This frankness is a refreshing change from the typical politician's desire to straddle fences.

One of his most notable achievements is the passage of Florida's Life Prolonging Procedures Act known as the "Death with Dignity Legislation." Jim King sponsored this legislation recognizing every competent adult's fundamental right to make their own decisions regarding medical treatment in the event of serious illness when death is imminent, and to be treated with dignity. The act establishes procedures for making a living will to help ensure that a person's final wishes are honored and for choosing a surrogate, in case of incompetency, to make those decisions for you.

Jim King has been a champion for small business issues and has received numerous awards, including the "Guardian of Small Business" from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and "Legislator of the Year" from the Jacksonville Association of Realtors. He has been consistently ranked as one of the "Top 10 Most Effective Legislators" in Florida.

Jim King has been recognized for his tireless efforts on behalf of education, receiving an honorary Doctorate of Letters degree from Jones College in Jacksonville. Duval Teachers United has repeatedly named him as "Legislator of the Year." The Florida School Boards Association presented Senator King with the "Legislator of the Year Award" for his efforts during the 1999 and 2000 Legislative Sessions on behalf of public education.

Among many other recent prestigious awards, Senator King was honored in 1999 by the Florida Psychological Association for leadership and distinguished service. He also received Mayo Clinic's Health Care Leadership Award for establishing cancer research as an important public policy of the State of Florida and for his efforts to ensure a fair and equitable system of funding.

Senator King was President of the Florida Senate from 2002 - 2004 and also served as the Majority Leader of the Florida Senate from 2000 -- 2002.

Senator King earned his Bachelor of Science and Masters in Business Administration degrees from Florida State University. He is married to Linda Braddock and has two daughters - Monta King, a practicing attorney in Tampa, Florida, and Laurie Ann Wiley, a state forester and environmentalist.