| James E. King | |
| Office: | President of the Florida Senate |
| Term Start: | November 19, 2002 |
| Term End: | November 16, 2004 |
| Predecessor: | John McKay |
| Successor: | Tom Lee |
| State Senate1: | Florida |
| State1: | Florida |
| District1: | 8th |
| Term Start1: | March 9, 1999 |
| Term End1: | July 26, 2009 |
| Birth Date: | 30 October 1939 |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, New York |
| Death Place: | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Spouse: | Linda Braddock |
| Profession: | Politician |
| Party: | Republican |
| Successor1: | John Thrasher |
| Predecessor1: | William G. Bankhead |
James E. King (October 20, 1939 – July 26, 2009) was an American businessman and politician. A Republican, he was a member of Florida House of Representatives from 1986 through 1999, and subsequently represented the 8th District of the Florida Senate from 1999 until his death. He served as President of the Florida Senate from 2002 to 2004 and served as the Majority Leader from 2000 to 2002.
King was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved with his family to Florida in 1945, where he became the first member of his family to graduate from high school[1] He attended Florida State University where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees.[1] He married the former Linda Braddock. He has a daughter, Laurie Anne, from his first marriage to Eileen and a daughter, Monta Michelle, from his second marriage to Dorothy King.[1] King had a rocky start in business, nearly going bankrupt twice before he mortgaged his home in 1969 to start an employment service agency, which was successful.[1] In 1997, he sold the company for $15 million and focused on his political career, which began in 1986.[1]
King was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1986. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 1999 and was the president of the senate from 2003 to 2004.
In 2006, he was opposed in the Republican primary election by Randall Terry, a prominent anti-abortion activist who had opposed him on the Schiavo matter.
Another of King's achievements as senator was his legislation on pet burial, which allowed pet owners to be buried with their furry friends.
In May 2009, King was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but the following month, announced that he was cancer-free. In mid-July, his family announced that the disease had spread and he entered a hospice program. Jim King died on Sunday, July 26, 2009.[2]
In 2008 The James E. King Life Sciences Building was opened on the Florida State University campus. At the dedication ceremony then university president T. K. Wetherell had this to say about Senator King:
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