Add another name to the possible field of Republican presidential candidates lining up in 2016 -- U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.
News broke this week that Kings camp is starting to float his name as a possible presidential candidate. While no sitting member of the U.S. House has been elected president since James Garfield won the 1880 presidential election, King has a higher profile than most congressmen, namely from chairing the House Committee on Homeland Security. Representing parts of Long Island and sitting on the House Financial Services Committee, King has been a strong fundraiser at the congressional level, though that might not translate to having enough for a presidential race.
The son of a police officer, King has been in New York politics for the better part of 35 years. After serving in the New York National Guard and graduating from law school, King worked in the Nassau County district attorneys office before running for town council and eventually moving up to county comptroller. King had a rare political defeat in 1986 when he was the GOPs candidate for state attorney general. King lost out to Bob Abrams, one of several New York Democrats led by then-Gov. Mario Cuomo who generally did well against Republicans that year.
Despite 1992 not being a good year for Republicans across the nation, King picked up an open congressional seat that had been held by a Democratic congressman in that election cycle. Since then, he has generally kept his seat by overwhelming margins. During his two decades in Congress, King has become a leading Republican on national security but he has often drawn heavy fire from civil libertarians for his stances.
While there are certainly some skeletons in his closet -- ranging from his comments on American Muslims to his support for the Irish Republican Army -- if he runs, King should be able to find a niche talking about defense and security issues. He might have competition for that role, though, as former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton is also floating his name as a possible presidential candidate and they would cover much the same ground.
King should be able to avoid a trap that has plagued New York Republicans who have eyed the White House in recent decades. Unlike fellow Empire State Republicans Nelson Rockefeller and Rudy Giuliani, King is not a social liberal. With a solidly pro-life record, King should pass muster with conservatives on most social issues.
Still, there are some major strikes against King if he decides to seek the presidency. King will be 72 in 2016, almost as old as Bob Dole was when he was the Republican nominee back in 1996. To his credit, King shows very little signs of slowing down. Kings brash, often pugnastic, style and caustic tongue often get him in trouble but these could be assets as he looks to win over conservative voters in Iowa and South Carolina.
While he has generally been a strong fundraiser, King will have to play at a much larger level in a presidential bid and his support could be undermined by other New Yorkers in the mix. King might not be the only New York Republican looking at running in 2016. Former Gov. George Pataki looked at making presidential bids in 2000 and 2012 but he stayed out of the fray both times. King could also face indirect competition over on the Democratic side. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand and Gov. Andrew Cuomo are all possible candidates for the Democratic nomination and would be relying heavily on money from the Empire State.
Kings reluctance to step up politically could also haunt him. While there was speculation that King could seek the open U.S. Senate seat in 2000, he generally remained on the sidelines as Clinton, Giuliani and Rick Lazio took center stage in that contest. But King also flirted with running for the Senate throughout the next decade in the 2004, 2006 and 2010 election cycles. Each time out, King stayed out of the contest. Despite his camp sending up trial balloons this week, possible supporters could think King could do the same thing with a presidential bid.
Even if he runs, its tough to see King winning the Republican nomination. Still, he should have enough fundraising skill to last at least through New Hampshire and he might be able to score some points in the debates by hammering the Obama administration on foreign policy and domestic security. If he runs, King could shape the contest even if its unlikely for him to emerge as the nominee.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at 904-521-3722.
