Troy King

Troy King

Republican Party

Prior offices

Attorney General of Alabama

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Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2020

Contact

Campaign website

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Troy King (Republican Party) was the Attorney General of Alabama. He assumed office in 2004. He left office in 2011.

King (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Alabama's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2020.

King was a candidate for Attorney General of Alabama. King lost the primary runoff on July 17, 2018, after advancing from the primary on June 5, 2018.

King was appointed Alabama attorney general by Republican Governor Bob Riley in 2004 following the resignation of William Pryor to accept a federal judgeship before being officially elected two years later. In the 2010 primary election, King was defeated by attorney Luther Strange (R).

Education

• Bachelor's degree, Troy State University (1990) in history and social sciences
• Juris Doctorate degree, University of Alabama School of Law (1994)

Elections

2020

See also: Alabama's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020

Alabama's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

Alabama's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Alabama District 2

Barry Moore defeated Phyllis Harvey-Hall and John Page in the general election for U.S. House Alabama District 2 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Barry Moore (R)	65.2	197,996
		Phyllis Harvey-Hall (D)	34.7	105,286
		John Page (L) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	287

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 303,569
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Alabama District 2

Barry Moore defeated Jeff Coleman in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Alabama District 2 on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Barry Moore	60.4	52,248
		Jeff Coleman	39.6	34,185

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 86,433
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Alabama District 2

Phyllis Harvey-Hall defeated Nathan Mathis in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Alabama District 2 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phyllis Harvey-Hall	59.2	27,399
		Nathan Mathis	40.8	18,898

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,297
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Alabama District 2

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Alabama District 2 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeff Coleman	38.1	39,804
✔		Barry Moore	20.5	21,392
		Jessica Taylor	19.9	20,789
		Troy King	14.5	15,171
		Terri Hasdorff	5.0	5,216
	Submit photo	Thomas W. Brown Jr.	1.3	1,395
		Robert Rogers	0.8	826

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 104,593
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Will Dismukes (R)

2018

See also: Alabama Attorney General election, 2018

General election

General election for Attorney General of Alabama

Incumbent Steve Marshall defeated Joseph Siegelman in the general election for Attorney General of Alabama on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Marshall (R)	58.8	1,004,438
		Joseph Siegelman (D)	41.1	702,858
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,141

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,708,437 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary runoff election

Republican primary runoff for Attorney General of Alabama

Incumbent Steve Marshall defeated Troy King in the Republican primary runoff for Attorney General of Alabama on July 17, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Marshall	62.0	211,562
		Troy King	38.0	129,409

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 340,971
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Alabama

Joseph Siegelman defeated Chris Christie in the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Alabama on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Siegelman	54.2	147,923
		Chris Christie	45.8	125,184

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 273,107
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Alabama

Incumbent Steve Marshall and Troy King advanced to a runoff. They defeated Alice Martin and Chess Bedsole in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Alabama on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Marshall	28.3	154,500
✔		Troy King	27.9	151,878
		Alice Martin	23.2	126,735
	Submit photo	Chess Bedsole	20.6	112,062

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 545,175
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign finance

The following are campaign finance figures obtained from the Alabama Secretary of State's reporting system on May 28, 2018. Campaign finance figures from the Marshall campaign date to a major contribution report filed on May 21, while figures from the Bedsole campaign date to a major contribution report on May 24, figures from the King campaign date to a major contribution report on May 23, and figures from the Martin campaign date from a weekly campaign finance report filed May 21.

2010

See also: Alabama Attorney General election, 2010

Primary

With 60.1% of the vote, Luther Strange earned the Republican Party's nomination in the 2010 partisan primary race against incumbent Troy King.

2010 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary
Party		Candidate	Vote Percentage
	Republican Party	a Luther Strange	60.1%
	Republican Party	Troy King	39.9%
Total Votes			473,727

2006

On November 7, 2006, Troy King won election to the office of Attorney General of Alabama. He defeated John M. Tyson in the general election.

Attorney General of Alabama, 2006
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Troy King	53%	653,045
	Democratic	John M. Tyson	46.9%	576,830
	Write-in	N/A	0.1%	1,221
Total Votes				1,231,096
Election results via Alabama Secretary of State.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Troy King did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

King's campaign website stated the following:

“	American-Israel Relations I grew up in the small south Alabama town of Elba. I cannot claim any sort of cosmopolitan exposure to Israel or even Jewish people. Elba had no temple and, as far as I know, not even a Jewish resident. It was filled, however, with God-fearing preachers who taught of the importance of our support of and love for Israel from the pulpit most Sundays. I first was introduced to Israel as the ancestral home of Abraham, David, and Solomon in church and Sunday School. My understanding of Israel’s special place in history, geopolitics, and America’s past, present, and future deepened, ironically enough, in that Southern Baptist incubator where we were taught from the earliest age I can remember of Israel’s special status . . . not because some man or politician said so but because God, Himself, said so. As the only nation ordained by the same God Who we worshipped alongside our Jewish brothers and sisters, I have known my whole life of God’s age-old and ageless declaration that “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3) This verse imposes a God-ordained duty on all nations to stand with, protect, and advance the legitimacy and prosperity of Israel or to suffer the consequences. Then, one day, I toured the Holy Land without ever leaving my Dad’s old record player. He brought home a Johnny Cash record called “Holy Land.” It is a travelogue, guided by another Southern Baptist who made the wonder of the land of Israel come vividly to life as he visited one holy site after another with a portable tape recorder on which he captured the sounds of the land of miracles. I imagined the people. I could feel the desert heat and smell the sweat. I was profoundly touched by this land, rich in history and prophecy and promise, this land where the stories of God’s might and power unfolded, this land promised by God to the chosen people He called His children. As I grew and became interested in politics, I came to know Israel as God’s most favorite nation and America’s staunchest ally. My study of history has likewise taught me that these are not dusty fables in scrolls from long ago. They are continuing promises. Israel’s more recent history as it was recreated in its ancestral land and has, against all odds, overcome being far outnumbered by those who hate them with a religious fervor and have dedicated themselves to Israel’s destruction. Time and again, Israel has defied every odd and God has faithfully kept His promise to grant them (and their allies) favor. America has always been a strong ally. She must always remain so. As a member of Congress, I will dedicate myself to ensuring she does. AMERICA’S BOND WITH THE LAND OF ISRAEL The United States of America and Israel have a bond that is forged and moored in a shared faith, values, beliefs, and friendship. Israel’s ability to survive and thrive in the midst of sworn, blood enemies dedicated to her destruction is a testament to the Providential creation of Israel as a nation. Israel stands as an example to the brutal dictatorships that surround her. As a beacon of hope amidst a sea of darkness, Israel points those who will look towards the path to peace through strength. Israel has been America’s best friend in the tumultuous Middle East and America has reciprocated by ensuring Israel has the means to protect and defend herself via unwavering financial, military, and diplomatic support. It is fitting that America recognized Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel. I applauded President Donald Trump for taking this bold stand. Far from being rhetorical, he also ordered the movement of America’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. America stood alone in its decision and, even when the United Nations criticized and condemned the decision, America vetoed action by the Security Council and proceeded with the implementation of this presidential directive. This kind of American leadership and friendship must continue to underpin American- Israeli relations. President Ronald Reagan said it best when he spoke eloquently of the special relationship between the United States and Israel on March 23, 1982, in an address to the National Conference of Christians and Jews when he said, “Since the rebirth of the State of Israel, there has been an ironclad bond between that democracy and this one . . . America has never flinched from its commitment to the State of Israel – a commitment which remains unshakable.” So it must always be. DEFENSE & PEACE Peace in the troubled Middle East has long required a strong presence by the United States. America’s ability to fill this void has been and remains dependent on our alliance with Israel. The United States’s national security demands that we arm and equip Israel with the necessary defenses to protect Israel’s resources, sovereignty, and, most importantly, lives of her citizens. This includes continuing to provide the $3.3 billion in security assistance and $500 million in cooperative missile defense funding that is currently provided via a Memorandum of Understanding. This security assistance must remain at a level that ensures that Israel always maintains a qualitative military edge in the Middle East. America’s interests are inextricably aligned with Israel’s and we should be constantly searching for more, better, and new ways to improve the cooperation between our nations. Peace in the Middle East will be achievable only as long as Israel remains strong. America’s support of Israel is instrumental in ensuring Israeli strength. IRAN & TERROR Unfortunately, these topics are inseparable. They are very nearly synonymous. Iran is a terrorist state, provides refuge to the world’s most bloody terrorists and training grounds and resources to protect and advance the worst terror organizations, and is the largest exporter of terror. Iran has publicly and repeatedly stated its intentions to destroy both Israel and “the Great American Satan.” Yet many in our government continue to excuse Iran’s reckless behavior. Israel must have wide latitude to defend itself and, as it does so, to defend the rest of the world from its bloodthirsty neighbors. It must have the support of America. Those neighbors must never doubt America’s commitment to Israel. It has long had my prayers and support as a private citizen and it will continue to have both when I am a Congressman. This includes support for any and every action to stop Iran in its quest for nuclear capabilities and the advancement of terrorist activities. Iran must be thwarted at every opportunity. I support the enhanced sanctions against Iran and President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the shackling “Iran Nuclear Deal” that only advanced and emboldened terrorist activities and actors and the interests of Iran at the expense of America and Israel. Iran has flaunted its willingness to defy the United Nations, which provides only tepid, timid, and toothless sanctions for Iran’s ongoing ballistic missile tests. In the face of an unyielding threat of Islamic terrorism abroad and at home, it is always in the national interests of the United States to support Israeli military, counter-insurgency, and counter-terrorism efforts. Not content to abuse its own citizens, Iran has also engaged in gross human rights violations with its insurgent efforts to support the murderous Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria where it has been directly responsible for gross human rights violations. I support the current sanctions. I support further sanctions that will interrupt Iran’s testing of ballistic missiles, that will halt Iran’s sponsorship of terror and terror organizations and activities, and that will deter further human rights violations being committed by Iran against its own citizens and the citizens of other nations. There must be transparent, open, and free inspections of Iran’s facilities to ensure its compliance with agreements to which it is a party and sanctions imposed by the rest of the world. We must aggressively resist Iran’s attempts to destabilize the region, to murder those it opposes, to export terror, and to develop new ways to terrorize the rest of the world. America’s support of Israel must never be in doubt. BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT & SANCTIONS MOVEMENT America must not only support Israel militarily, we must also support her economically. The efforts to hurt and cripple Israel economically must be opposed. These efforts are actually only thinly veiled attempts to delegitimize Israel. By targeting Israeli businesses and goods, those behind these efforts are damaging the global economy. I am proud to hail from a state where our people, through their Legislature, have made clear where we stand on the efforts to isolate and sanction Israel with the passage of legislation outlawing such measures in our state. Maybe that is no surprise for a state whose motto is “We dare defend our rights.” Further, I support the Israeli Anti-Boycott Resolution and the revival and passage of the Israeli Anti-Boycott Act and other anti-boycott, divestment, and sanctions legislation. The federal government should follow Alabama’s lead and stand against this effort and its anti-Semitic underpinnings. We know, from history, that when America does not stand with the Jewish people, it becomes complicit in the horrors that follow. American leadership must never again vacillate in its support of Israel and our Jewish friends. THE PEACE PROCESS Israel is a sovereign nation. Period. She should not be coerced or forced to allow outside influencers like the United Nations to impose its ideas about the terms of peace upon her. Instead, the United States must stand with Israel and support her position that she has the sole, sovereign right to make decisions about her own security and acceptable terms of peace in the region. America must use her veto power at the United Nations to block any and all efforts by that body to impose peace on Israel on terms that Israel does not believe to be in her best interests or to interfere with the right of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to negotiate a peace on terms they accept. As a member of Congress, I will use my voice and influence to publicly support these objectives. “THE SQUAD” The threats to Israel are as old as the Torah. Today, a new threat has emerged. It is arising from within the political system of Israel’s oldest and most reliable ally in the form of members of Congress who publicly spew their hatred of Israel and America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s survival. They call themselves “the Squad” and their leaders are Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. They do what “squads” have always done – they take hit jobs and cheap shots. They pose the same threat to America’s ties to Israel that cancer does to a body – they threaten to rot away those ties from within and they cannot be left to fester unchecked. Fortunately, America presently has a leader who is unwavering in his support of Israel and America’s support for and ties to Israel. America needs more, new, unreserved, and unapologetic voices to join the chorus of defending Israel, however. I can do no less than be one of them because I crave God’s favor and blessing but also because I fear that, if America ever withdraws her unequivocal support of Israel, the consequences of the curse she will incur will be devastating. I am unwilling to allow the land I love to turn her back on the land that the God I love has chosen and blessed. I am unwilling to allow those who seem to hate both of those lands to have a platform to poison public opinion without a counterbalance voice exposing them and their radical agenda and the threats they pose to America and her closest and most important ally. CONCLUSION America has many important and strategic alliances, but she has no other alliance that is as special or important as the one she shares with Israel. Our nations share common traditions and enjoy the only alliance that carries a promise and a curse from God. America’s support of Israel is vital to the success, security, and futures of each nation. American policy towards Israel must recognize these pillars: America has been Israel’s most loyal ally. Israel is an important beacon of democracy amidst terrorists. Israel’s concerns must be America’s concerns. Israel’s security creates a safer and saner Middle East. Israel’s success benefits American interests. We must renew and recommit ourselves to these principles and our friendship with Israel daily. We must respond to the political hits being leveled by the Squad and their allies with rhetorical counters and political strength. As a member of Congress, Israel will have a loud and vocal friend and fierce, unwavering advocate in me. Pro-Life On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court handed down Roe v. Wade and ignited a fierce debate that has divided this nation ever since. With that decision, the Supreme Court discovered a penumbra of rights that do not exist in the text of Constitution, but which the Court concluded includes the right to terminate a pregnancy. That would have surprised the founders who had concluded that all men are created, not born but created, equal and given inalienable rights by God, Himself, that include the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of liberty. The Court ushered in a new era of judicial activism and social engineering from the bench by unelected, unaccountable federal judges. That day, it abandoned its historical role as the institution that was insulated from politics and charged with applying the Constitution and the laws passed by Congress and, instead, began to make up new laws itself. Since that time, nearly 62,000,000 babies have been killed. Over 850,000 babies were killed by abortion in 2017. It is the American Holocaust. We must again recognize certain fundamental truths: Life begins at conception. It is not a fetus but a baby. All life is precious and must be protected. The most vulnerable among us, the unborn, deserve the greatest protection. You do not have to take my word for where I stand on the issue of abortion. I have a record. As Alabama’s Attorney General, I brought the first and only prosecution ever against an abortionist who broke Alabama law. When I took office, Alabama law did not afford protection to the unborn so that, if a baby was injured or killed during the commission of a violent crime against his or her mother, no prosecution could be pursued for the injuries to or death of the baby. I also wrote and passed legislation to fix that. Today, in Alabama, if you injure or a kill a baby, you may be charged with and convicted for not one crime but two – one for your crimes against the mother and the other for your crimes against her unborn baby. Now it is time to do for America what we have already done for Alabama. As a Congressman, I will: Ensure that the Department of Justice pursues and prosecutes those who commit illegal abortions; and Draft legislation to protect unborn babies from violence to the same extent as their born counterparts; and Oppose funding for Planned Parenthood or any other entity that uses its funding to perform abortions; and Expand funding for adoption agencies and organizations; and Work to help vet judges who reject an activist approach to their role as a federal judge; and Pray for God’s forgiveness for us a nation that has so disrespected His creation by callously and cavalierly destroying it under the color of law. Ronald Reagan once sagely observed of the hypocrisy of the abortionists that “I have noticed that all of those who support abortion rights were born.” Over 250 babies have been aborted somewhere in the world since you started reading this. It is time to stop the killing. The Second Amendment “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Clear. Unequivocal. Unqualified. Unreserved. Inviolate. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791. Like the other protections enshrined in the Bill of Rights, neither the founding fathers nor the states ratifying the Constitution anticipated a time when a right as basic and fundamental as the right to own a gun would be questioned. In their wisdom, however, they specifically protected this most basic of America right. As a proud member of both the NRA and BamaCarry, I have not just talked about the importance of protecting gun rights, but I have actually protected them. As Attorney General, I passed Alabama’s Stand Your Ground Law. With its passage, law abiding citizens in Alabama no longer had to try to run away before they could stand and defend themselves, their family, and their property. That is how it should be. Members of the fringe Left seem dedicated to disarming Americans. They have tried full scale frontal assault. They have used activist judges to try to limit the Second Amendment from the bench. They have an endless stream of new laws, the only point of which is to take your guns away. I will be a solid vote against these new laws and in favor of defending the Constitution and our most important civil liberties, including, particularly, those protected by the Second Amendment. The solution is simple: Trust the wisdom of our founding fathers who expressly enshrined this liberty in the fabric of the Constitution. Enforce the laws we have. Nominate and confirm judges who will restrict their rulings to applying the law and will not rewrite it. Stand vigilant and defeat the onslaught of new proposed laws, like the so called “red flag laws” that do nothing to solve the shootings they are a response to and, actually, are wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing attempts to erode the Second Amendment.	”
—Troy King’s campaign website (2020)

2018

Campaign website

“	Taking Alabama Back from Crime Violent crime in Alabama has been on the rise. It is the job of the Attorney General to keep Alabama’s families and communities safe. In 2010 (the last year I served as Attorney General), violent crime in our state hit a twenty year low. Over the last eight years, it has been on the rise until, last year it was at historic highs. In 2016, Alabama was the third most murderous state in America. Alabamians have every reason to expect that the Attorney General, the chief law enforcement officer in the state, will implement policies, propose new laws, and enforce the law in a way that sends a message to violent criminals that, if they threaten the peace in our state, they will face swift and sure consequences. Using experience & proven policies will not only allow Alabama to, once again, win the war against violent crimes to keep law abiding citizens safe, but it is also the most certain way to TAKE ALABAMA BACK from the violent criminals. Taking Alabama Back from Corruption Every Alabamian has watched in despair as the politically corrupt have tightened their stranglehold on our state government. The Speaker of the House of Representatives stands convicted of 23 counts of misusing his office for personal gain and soliciting gifts from lobbyists. He remains free. Numerous other legislators have been forced from office for their own corrupt activities. Most notably, though, Alabama spent three years as the lead joke on the national news as Robert Bentley made a mockery of public service. At the height of the scandal, Governor Bentley faced impeachment proceedings, four felony referrals from the Alabama Ethics Commission, a criminal grand jury, and the prospect of multiple court cases – both civil and criminal. The kind of deals that were once confined to smoky back rooms are now cut in plain view as those investigating the activities of the Governor and in charge of his investigations asked for favors from the very target of those investigations, lied about their activities, and appear to have traded their appointments for a favorable plea deal that allowed Governor Bentley to escape the consequences of his actions. As a little boy, my dad would often point to the TV screen during news reports of the Governor and say, “Son, if you work hard, study hard, and apply yourself, you can grow up and be just like him”. I fear it has been far too long since any parent in their right mind in Alabama challenged their child to grow up and be like our Governor. That is unacceptable! We stand in danger of an entire generation of children growing up in an Alabama where the lessons our leaders have taught us are that public service is dishonorable and that all politicians are corrupt. We can and we must change that. To do so, we must have zero tolerance for corruption. We must remind those who hold public office that they serve a high calling and that, if they betray their oaths, the constitution, and those they are sworn to serve, we are prepared to use the law to the fullest extent to make examples of them and hold them accountable. At the same time, we must further tighten and strengthen our ethics laws to ensure that the penalties for public corruption are adequate to deter future corruption and to punish those who abuse the public trust. Only by doing so can we ever TAKE ALABAMA BACK from the corrupt. Taking Alabama Back from the Establishment For too long now the entrenched and self-entitled Establishment forces in Montgomery have had their way. They have come to believe their money and their power buys them the right to place their interests ahead of those interests of the people of Alabama. The result has been the widespread erosion of confidence in the branches of state government. It is time the people of Alabama rally together and to remind those who serve in state government and those who believe they have bought our government that the real power lies with the people. We must remind the powerful that, in Alabama, it is the government that should work for the people and not the other way around. Our willingness to stand together and to demand accountability across government is the only way to TAKE ALABAMA BACK from those forces that have come to exert to much control over government. Taking Alabama Back from Opioids Our state’s families and communities are in the grips of a deadly struggle with an exploding drug epidemic. It is a struggle we are losing. To understand why, and begin dealing with this problem, we must properly understand the extent of the problem. Last year in Alabama, more prescriptions for opioids were written per capita than any other state in the country. Opioid addictions are among the most powerful, and unless we properly combat the problem, Alabama will experience what has occurred elsewhere in the country—the opioid crisis will become a heroin epidemic. If Alabama does not act and act decisively, generations of Alabamians stand to become victims. Alabama families and communities are depending on their Attorney General stop the suffering, and they deserve a more effective response. The current approach has included studying the issue to conclude that more studying of the issue is necessary and to file a misguided lawsuit. Alabamians deserve a strong response from their Attorney General, because the Attorney General has the most direct ability to lead the charge against the opioid crisis in court. But, Alabama’s weak lawsuit fails to do so. It was brought against only one drug manufacturer, Purdue Pharmaceuticals. Yet Purdue is only responsible for two percent of the opioid prescriptions written in Alabama. Allowing those responsible for 98% of the problem to escape accountability for the harm they have inflicted, and to remain unbridled, sends the wrong message. The only effective response is to hold those responsible for creating this crisis accountable… not one of them, but all of them. Because the current approach means that those who are poisoning and addicting our children and families continue to get rich and face no accountability for their actions. Further, Alabama’s lawsuit was filed in federal court in Ohio. That should not have happened, Alabama’s case should be heard in an Alabama court by Alabama citizens who can apply Alabama law and render judgment and impose punishments commensurate with the harm done in Alabama. Solving the opioid problem in Alabama will not be simple, but neither was dealing with the methamphetamine crisis. The leadership I provided as Attorney General led to real common sense responses to the meth problem that led to a decline in meth production, addictions, and deaths in our state. We must be heartened as we wage this war, there are no problems in Alabama that cannot be solved, only problems that have not been solved yet. Implementing a real response to this clear and present danger is the only effective path to take Alabama back from the opioid epidemic that is now threatening our state and killing our children while destroying our communities. I am committed to using my experience earned waging war on methamphetamines to attack this current crisis. I look forward to responsibility of taking Alabama back from opioids. Taking Alabama Back from Sexual Predators It’s important to have laws. The right laws, good laws, strong laws that will make a difference. That’s why, when I was Attorney General, we rewrote Alabama’s sex offender laws and made them the toughest sex offender laws in the country. People said, “You’ll never get that through. Children don’t have lobbyists. Children don’t make campaign contributions. Children don’t go to the Capitol. You will never get this bill passed.” But we did! It’s not just important that we have laws though. Maybe more important, is that we use the laws we have. For example, we had a child pornography law in Alabama that made it a crime to take a child’s innocence away with a camera, but having a law that says you should not do it does not stop anybody from doing anything. So we took the law and we used it. We indicted a man who had a computer set up next to his little girl’s bed where he was running a child pornography ring out of her bedroom. We convicted him and sentenced him to 115 life sentences plus 1960 years on top of that. Somebody stopped me after this made the news and asked me, “Wouldn’t you have made the point just as well with ten indictments?” The answer is: No! Every child in Alabama is precious. Every child has the right, if you steal their innocence with a camera, to have their day in court. So no, it was not enough to just indict five or ten as a sample. Because to do that would require us to say, “This child should have their day in court, but this other child should not because we are just making a point.” We were not making a point, my friends, we were making an example. So 115 life sentences and 1960 years later, sex offenders are on notice that Alabama is not the place to come and peddle their smut. This is not the place to come and hurt our children. Every child deserves their own day in court. So the message was important. The message was: “if you come to peddle smut in Alabama, we’ve got a severe sentence waiting for you. We’ve got a tough law and we are prepared to use it to protect the children of this state.” Only when we do that can we make clear to those who peddle smut— Not in our state. Not our children. Not now. Not ever. Then, and only then, can we take Alabama back from predators.	”
—Troy King for Attorney General

Noteworthy events

Affordable Care Act lawsuit (2010)

See also: State Attorneys General Against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

King was one of 13 state attorneys general who initiated a 2010 lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The suit argued that the individual mandate fell outside of the federal government’s authority and that the requirement for state Medicaid expansion of coverage violated state sovereignty. The case was ultimately heard before the Supreme Court, which ruled to uphold the individual mandate as falling within Congress’ authority to levy taxes and struck down the Medicaid expansion as being unduly coercive in light of the withholding of funding that would result from noncompliance.

Gamble death sentence

King sought to set execution dates in Alabama at a time when several states voluntarily suspended executions during United States Supreme Court litigation over lethal injection. In 2007, Robert E. Owens, a Shelby County district attorney, supported commutation of the death sentence for twenty-nine year old LaSamuel Gamble, an accomplice in a case where the actual shooter had escaped the death penalty following a United States Supreme Court ruling that argued that "it was unconstitutional to impose capital punishment on defendants who were under 18 at the time of their crimes." King said Owens "had acted on the side of the criminal" and notified him that he was seeking to reinstate the death penalty. Critics of the Alabama Attorney General believed the decision was politically motivated. Despite the controversy, King received the support of the victim's family in addition to state death penalty supporters for his stance in the case.

Sex toy ban

King replaced William Pryor as the defendant in the Williams v. Morgan (2007) case following his appointment in 2004. The case came about as a result of the ACLU filing suit on behalf of individual users and vendors of sexual devices to enjoin the enforcement of the Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act of 1998, an Alabama statute that prohibits the sale of any “device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs." They based their argument primarily on the ruling of the Lawrence vs. Texas (2003) Supreme Court case, "which decriminalized gay sex on privacy grounds, [which they believe] protects sex toy users from unwarranted state intrusion in their homes." The Atlanta-based 11th United States Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the ACLU believing that "siding with the sex toy merchants could open the door to the legalization of undesirable sexual behavior such as prostitution." Although they appealed to the United States Supreme Court, they refused to hear the case. King argued that as the state's attorney general he must defend the law.

King's position received extensive criticism from gay rights activists and social libertarians. Loretta Nall, 2006 Alabama gubernatorial candidate and founder of the United States Marijuana Party (USMJP), organized a sex toy drive to encourage people to mail sex toys to the Alabama Attorney General.

Political issues

Healthcare

See also: State Attorneys General Against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

In the wake of the passage of President Barack Obama's health care reform legislation in 2009, King joined fourteen other state attorneys general in questioning the constitutionality of a specific provision within the Senate version of the bill and exploring potential legal challenges to the measure. At issue was a provision exempting the state of Nebraska from costs associated with Medicaid expansion which critics contended had been the result of a deal between Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) in order to gain Nelson's support. King rejected concerns among critics that the investigation was motivated by politics, contending that the group had been "reaching out to other attorneys general regardless of party."

After South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster (R), who was heading the organization of state attorneys general calling for an investigation into the deal, refused an offer by Senator Nelson that the exemption granted to Nebraska "would be offered to the other 49 states" should the investigation be dropped, King praised the decision and called the offer "unacceptable under any and all circumstances."

King was one of 13 state attorneys general to file a joint lawsuit challenging the bill on the same day it was signed into law.

Illegal immigration

Nearly two weeks after the United States Justice Department filed suit against the state of Arizona over its anti-illegal immigration law, Senate Bill 1070 - The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (SB 1070), contending that it "interferes with federal immigration responsibilities," King joined eight other Republican state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of the measure. The Alabama Attorney General remarked that other states "must stand with Arizona and reassert our rights, pursuant to the Tenth Amendment, to once again, make the states laboratories for public policy experimentation."

Electronic ankle bracelets

In the midst of the 2005 state legislative session, King made headlines wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet of the kind used by parolees and others under judicial monitoring. He promised to wear the bracelet until the state legislature passed tougher monitoring laws for parolees and convicted sex offenders, removing it after the passage of the requested legislation.

Gambling

In 2006, King requested that the United States Department of the Interior deny an application filed by the Poarch Creek Band of Indians to expand their gaming operations in the state of Alabama. He later filed suit against the Department to keep it from pressuring Alabama to permit video gaming on Alabama Indian reservations.

Other roles

• Member, Alabama Law Institute (1994-present)
• Member, Alternative Dispute Resolution Task Force (1998-1999)
• Member, Governor's Long-Range Disaster Recovery and Avoidance Task Force (1998-1999)
• Member, Alabama Children's Policy Council
• Member, Alabama State Bar
• Member/Deacon, First Baptist Church in Montgomery

Campaign contributions

2006

2006 Race for Attorney General - Campaign Contributions
Total Raised		$2,184,495
Total Raised by Primary Opponent		$39,481
Total Raised by Gen. Election Opponent		$1,442,794
Top 5 Contributors		Republican State Leadership Committee $225,000 (10.3% of Total)
		Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama $77,081 (3.53%)
		Vend PAC $73,500 (3.36%)
		Franklin PAC $70,000 (3.20%)
		Business Council of Alabama $65,000 (2.98%)
Individuals v. Institutions		$514,245 (23.5%)
		$1,386,636 (63.5%)
In v. Outside State		$1,850,614 (84.9%)
		$329,526 (15.1%)

See also

2020 Elections

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• Attorney General of Alabama
• Alabama Attorney General election, 2018

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Alabama.gov
• Campaign Facebook page
• Campaign website (2010 state executive election)
• Project Vote Smart - Troy King biography

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by William H. Pryor, Jr.	Alabama Attorney General 2004–2010	Succeeded by Luther Strange

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Alabama's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Katie Britt (R)

Tommy Tuberville (R)

Representatives

District 1

Barry Moore (R)

District 2

Shomari Figures (D)

District 3

Mike Rogers (R)

District 4

Robert Aderholt (R)

District 5

Dale Strong (R)

District 6

Gary Palmer (R)

District 7

Terri Sewell (D)

Republican Party (7)

Democratic Party (2)