Georgia Commissioner Ends US Senate Bid, Commits to Commissioner Reelection in 2026
ATLANTA //BestWire// - Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King is ending his campaign for one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats being determined in the 2026 midterm elections but said he will seek reelection as insurance commissioner during next year’s vote.
John KingKing announced his Senate campaign in May, saying at the time he wanted to unseat Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff due to his opposition to the policy objectives of the current administration (BestWire, May 12, 2025).
In a social media post, King said he was ending the campaign as it became "clear there’s little path forward to the nomination."
As it stands, there are eight Republicans and two independents in the race, according to Ballotpedia.org.
Based on fundraising, Republican U.S. Rep. Earl Carter is ahead of the other candidates hoping to unseat Ossoff and has raised $3.6 million as of June 30, according to Ballotpedia. King’s campaign raised the second-most funds among the challengers, bringing in $518,333. Republican candidate and political newcomer Reagan Box is the only other challenger to declare any fundraising, having brought in $63,301, as of June 30.
In comparison, Ossoff’s campaign reported nearly $42 million in donations as of June 30, according to Ballotpedia.
While King ended his Senate bid, he confirmed he would seek reelection when the insurance commissioner position comes up for a vote in 2026.
"I’ve spent my entire life in the arena as a lawman, soldier and first Hispanic elected statewide in Georgia, and I’m not done yet," King posted to social media.
He said he wants to keep Georgia state offices red and support a Senate nominee who backs President Donald Trump’s agenda.
King was first appointed to the commissioner position in 2019 after his predecessor Jim Beck was indicted on embezzlement charges (BestWire, May 14, 2019). King was elected to the position in 2022.
(By Steve Hallo, senior associate editor, BestWire: Steve.Hallo@ambest.com)