Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King has launched a campaign for the U.S. Senate, joining a growing field of Republicans aiming to unseat Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff in the 2026 midterm elections, according to a report from AM Best.

King is the second GOP candidate to enter the race, following U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, who announced his campaign on May 8. Carter represents Georgia’s 1st Congressional District.

King has served as an insurer in Georgia since 2019, when he was appointed to replace Jim Beck. Beck was suspended after being indicted on embezzlement charges related to his time at the Georgia Underwriting Association.

He was later convicted of taking more than $2 million and sentenced in 2023 to more than six years in prison. King was elected to a full term in 2022 and became the first Hispanic candidate in Georgia history to win statewide office.

King’s tenure

During his tenure, King has overseen regulatory matters involving insurance carriers, agents and fire safety across the state.

His office has been responsible for managing responses to severe weather events, addressing market disruptions, and overseeing insurance fraud investigations, according to the report.

His background includes policy oversight across the property/casualty and health insurance sectors, as well as engagement with the broader risk and reinsurance communities.

He has also participated in national insurance regulatory forums and has worked with industry stakeholders on issues such as affordability and access to coverage.

Born in Mexico, King immigrated to the US at age 17 and later joined the Army National Guard. He retired in 2023 with the rank of major general after deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Africa and the U.S.–Mexico border.

He also brings four decades of law enforcement experience, beginning as an officer with the Atlanta Police Department and later serving as police chief of Doraville.

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, John King’s statement

In a statement, King shared: “He’s California’s third senator, not Georgia’s senior senator.

“I’ve led troops in combat, been blown up by an IED in Iraq and been shot and stabbed in the line of duty as a cop. A tough campaign doesn’t scare me; giving Jon Ossoff six more years in the Senate does.”

If elected, King would join a small group of former insurance commissioners who have moved on to serve in Congress.

A campaign for the US Senate has been launched by Georgia’s Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner: Summary

Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King has announced he is launching a campaign for the US Senate.

King would join a small group of former insurance commissioners who have served in Congress if he were to be successful.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Several children were taken to the hospital after a Jackson County school bus crashed into a tree Monday afternoon.

According to the school district, five students were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. All the other students on the bus were reunited with their families.

One parent shared photos on social media, writing “My daughter’s school bus, with my daughter on the bus, was in an accident today. I want to thank God my baby girl walked off without a scratch or a bruise.”

The condition of the injured students is not known at this time.

The Jackson County School System said no further information will be released as the crash is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.

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Alabama baseball beat out the flood this weekend and received a boost in the polls as a reward.

After a down pouring of runs against Georgia in the opener on Friday and the monsoons that ensued, the Crimson Tide clinched its last home SEC series of the regular season against the Bulldogs, who dropped two spots to No. 8 in the latest Coaches Poll with their first series loss to Alabama since 2015.

Going 2-1 on the weekend, Alabama moved from No. 20 to No. 16 in the country, which plays in favor of the program’s hopes to get back in Sewell-Thomas Stadium during the NCAA Tournament.

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WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND? Alabama baseball secures first SEC series vs Georgia in a decade

Before the regular season comes to a close, Alabama has to make the trip to Florida, and the Gators will be coming in hot after moving up 11 spots into the poll at No. 21 after taking the weekend series against No. 1-turned-No. 3 Texas.

In other polls, Alabama is ranked No. 18 by D1Baseball and moved from No. 12 to No. 8 in RPI.

Here’s a look at how the Top 25 stacks up as of Monday.

Where is Alabama baseball in polls after upsetting Georgia?

Schools Dropped Out

No. 16 Oklahoma; No. 23 Arizona; 

Others Receiving Votes

Georgia Tech 59; Northeastern 54; Oklahoma 42; TCU 36; UTSA 33; Arizona State 15; Arizona 14; Miami (FL) 11; Virginia 8; Western Kentucky 6; Kansas 6; Iowa 6; Austin Peay 4; Kentucky 2; Wake Forest 1; USC 1; Lamar 1; Kansas State 1; Connecticut 1; 

List Of Voters

The USA TODAY Sports board of coaches is made up of 30 coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the American Baseball Coaches Association. The board for the 2025 season: Mik Aoki, Richmond; Andrew Checketts, UC-Santa Barbara; Jim Chester, Gardner-Webb; Reggie Christiansen, Sacramento State; Terry Davis, Western Illinois; Jeff Forehand, Lipscomb; Craig Gibson, Mercer; Justin Haire, Ohio State; Danny Hall, Georgia Tech; Brian Hamm, Yale; Charlie Hickey, Central Connecticut State; Josh Holliday, Oklahoma State; Randy Hood, UNC-Wilmington; Omar Johnson, Jackson State; Ed Kahovec, Holy Cross; Ryan Klosterman, Bryant; Geoff Loomis, Portland; Sean Lyons, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville; Scott Malone, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; John McCormack, Florida Atlantic; Jake McKinley, Nevada; Jim Penders, Connecticut; Evan Porter, Nebraska-Omaha; Marc Rardin, Western Kentucky; Sherman Reed, Coppin State; Jake Sabol, Central Michigan; Kevin Schnall, Coastal Carolina; Dan Skirka, Murray State; Alex Sogard, Wright State; Butch Thompson, Auburn.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.