In 1980, incumbent Democratic Congressman
Harold L. Runnels of
New Mexico's 2nd district died of
cancer, three months before the general election. The state Democratic committee chose King to replace him on the ballot over Dorothy Runnels, the late Congressman's widow. King, however, had only moved his voter registration into the district ten days after Runnels' death. In protest, Dorothy Runnels waged a write-in campaign, as did Republican
Joe Skeen, who was denied ballot access after taking his case to the
state Supreme Court. On election day, Skeen won with 38% of the vote, with King and Runnels finishing with 34% and 28%, respectively. King served in the administrations of New Mexico Governors Bruce King and
Toney Anaya in various positions, including director of state planning (1971–1975), secretary of finance and administration (1979–1981), and secretary of general services (1983–1986). In addition, on the federal level, he was state director for the
Farmers Home Administration from 1977 to 1978. In 1986, he was appointed deputy state treasurer under Treasurer
James B. Lewis before he was elected to succeed Lewis in 1990. He ran for re-election in 1994, but lost to Michael A. Montoya in the Democratic primary. In the private sector, King co-founded a real estate brokerage and was chief financial officer of
New Mexico State University Alamogordo. He was village administrator of
Angel Fire, New Mexico before he was ousted by Mayor Barbara Cottam, who claimed he failed to meet the demands of the job. He was a board member of South Central Colfax County Special Hospital District and the New Mexico Osteopathic Foundation. He was re-elected in 2006 over his Democratic opponent and was chosen to be vice chairman of the Commission in 2009. == Personal life ==