Chris King is a businessman who feels he has what it takes to run the state of Florida
On this edition of The Politically Incorrect Podcast, I talk with Chris King, an Orlando area businessman who is running to become the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate for the state of Florida. While, he has never held public office he feels that his background in business and public service gives him the qualifications to run the Sunshine State.
His biggest challenger will be Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who announced he was running for governor back in February. Present Gov. Rick Scott will be leaving office in 2018, so there will also be an open field of candidates on the Republican side.
As you will hear in our conversation the 38-year-old King, is not short on either confidence nor on ideas of how to make the state better.
About Chris King
Born in Orlando, King is a third-generation Central Floridian. He graduated from Harvard University and earned his law degree from the University of Florida.
Over a dozen years ago, with the idea that businesses had a responsibility to do well and do good, King and his brother started Elevation, a company that provides seniors across the state and Southeast affordable housing options.
With his family, he started several charitable efforts to serve their community including the Elevation Scholars program, which provides college scholarship opportunities to low-income students in Orange County. The Elevation Global Initiative funds family farming and environmental efforts in Haiti, entrepreneurship training in East Africa and prisoner rehabilitation in US prisons. He also helped launch the Elevation Academy, a school in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo that serves 700 low-income students.
King attributes his commitment to service to his family and faith. His father, David King, led the successful battle against illegal gerrymandering in Florida. His mother has been an advocate for patient-first healthcare for 30 years, serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Orlando Health, a non-profit family of hospitals in Central Florida, and as one of the early founders and first chairman of Grace Medical Home, an award-winning free and charitable clinic in Orlando.
King met his wife Kristen when he was 15 years old — they were high school sweethearts. Chris and Kristen are raising their three children in Orlando.
The King bio was provided by the campaign.
