Martin Louis King, Jr.

The Honorable Don Martin Louis King, Jr. EC, MPP
35th Governor of the Gold Coast
Incumbent
Assumed office December 16, 2016
Monarch	Angelina II
Preceded by	Michel Stagg
Lieutenant	Chance Bennett
Leader of the Official Opposition in the Gold Coast
In office March 17, 2013 – December 16, 2016
Preceded by	Amanda Bor
Succeeded by	Alan Manrique
Member of the Gold Coast Senate from the 2nd District
In office December 16, 2012 – December 16, 2016
Preceded by	Kevin Mullins (redistricted)
Succeeded by	Ashley Nunes
Member of the Gold Coast Provincial Assembly from the 17th District
In office June 7, 2008 – December 16, 2012
Preceded by	Ethan Mendez
Succeeded by	Barry Bonds
Member of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors from the 5th District
In office December 16, 2005 – December 16, 2007
Preceded by	Nicholas Lyon
Succeeded by	Michelle Bianchi
Personal details
Born	August 6, 1977 (1977-08-06) Porciúncula, Gold Coast, Sierra, KS
Political party	Royalist
Spouse(s)	Noel King, 1st Viscountess of Karakale
Children	2
Alma mater	Baldwin Hills Community College University of Sierra, Porciúncula (BA) Mulholland University (MBA)
Profession	Entrepreneur
Religion	Christian

Martin Louis Omari West King, Jr., The Lord of Karakale EC MPP (born August 6, 1977), styled Lord Martin Louis King, Jr., is a Sierran politician and businessman who is the 35th and current governor of the Gold Coast. A member of the Royalist Party, King previously served as a member of the Gold Coast Provincial Legislature, both in the Provincial Assembly (2008–2012) and the Senate (2012–2016). He represented the 17th District (Hidden Hills and Calabasas) as a member of the Provincial Assembly, and the 2nd district (Eastern Ventura County) as a member of the Provincial Senate. During his tenure in the Senate, he led the Royalist Opposition from 2013 to 2016 as the party's leader.

King was born in Silver Lake, Porciúncula and was raised in a middle-class family background. He attended the University of Sierra, Porciúncula, and later graduated from Mulholland University in 2001. After graduation, he worked as a venture capitalist, using the wealth he received from his father, and focused on Porciúncula's fashion industry. King began his political career as a member of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, and represented the 5th District (2005–2007). He later represented the 17th District for two terms in the Gold Coast Provincial Assembly from 2008 to 2012. King was noteworthy for being one of the few African-Sierran politicians in subnational office at the time, and one of the Kingdom's youngest elected officials. He was elected into the Gold Coast Senate in 2012, representing the newly redistricted 2nd District.

King became the leader of the Official Royalist Opposition in the Gold Coast Senate in 2013, after his predecessor, Amanda Bor, stepped down from the post. A party favorite, King gained traction within the party ranks for his leadership and commitment towards party policy, and for taking part in an emerging trend of conservative Royalist blacks in politics. He delivered the keynote speech at the 2012 Royalist National Convention, controversially declaring that the Royalist's rivals, the Democratic-Republicans, "didn't care about black people". King's landslide 2012 re-election to the Provincial Senate that year signaled a significant upset in the traditionally Democratic-Republican province. In 2016, he was nominated for governor, after a virtually uncontested closed primary by the Royalist Party. He proceeded to win the extremely close general election against Democratic-Republican incumbent, Michel Stagg. He entered office as the Gold Coast's first African-Sierran governor on December 16, 2016.

Early life, education, and entry into politics

Martin Louis Omari West King, Jr. was born in Silver Lake, Porciúncula, the only son of Martin Louis King, Sr. and Donna C. King (née Robertson). His parents were third-generation African-Sierrans, with King's maternal great-grandparents hailing from the Dixie state of Georgia, and King's paternal great-grandparents coming from the Appalachian state of Kentucky. Neither of his parents had ever visited east of the Mississippi at the time of West's birth, and both worked as urban professionals. King's father worked as a legal counsel for Augustine Materials, a local construction company. King's mother was a professor of English at Sierra National University, Dominguez Hills, and as Chair of the English Department.

When King was 7, his family moved to a larger house in Baldwin Park. Growing up in a religious household, he and his family attended church services regularly at the Baldwin Park Christian Fellowship Church. King credited his mother's religiosity for impacting his own views and life of faith. King attended Baldwin Vista High School, graduating in 1995, and ranked 6th out of his class of 550 students.

After high school, he attended a year at Baldwin Hills Community College, before enrolling at the University of Gold Coast, Porciúncula (now the University of Sierra, Porciúncula) as a junior due to the college credits he earned from passing several AL tests from high school. He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in business administration, and his masters in business at Mulholland University in 2001.

Prior to entering into politics, King used funding from his father to help start-up his friends' firms, and other businesses throughout Porciúncula. He became a financial adviser at Von Holt, and worked closely in the local fashion scene, contributing his own ideas to the company's shoe line.

In 2005, King ran for the newly created seat for the 5th District of Ventura County Board of Supervisors as a Royalist. Young and inexperienced in law and politics, he was regarded as the underdog in the race against felow candidate and former district attorney Rick Vossen in the Royalist primary. During the race, King pointed towards his success as a student, and a young entrepreneur, and stressed on his ability to bring "fresh changes" to county politics. During his campaign, he personally raised $400,000 from his own funds to run, and another $300,000 from supporters. King defeated Vossen 54%–46%, and proceeded on to run against Democratic-Republican challenger Tommy Sanchez, a former public school teacher, and Libertarian challenger Sean Toole. King defeated Sanchez and Toole with 48%–47%–5%.

As a member of the Board of Supervisors, he represented the Simi Valley area and Ventura County portion of the San Fernando Valley. During his tenure, he promoted community safety and transportation improvements. He championed mental health services for the mentally ill, and spearheaded the Human Services Agency's employment assistance program. King and his colleagues also balanced the budget. Part of the balancing effort included the dismissal of over 100 positions from office that the Board deemed unnecessary. Towards the end of King's term, he oversaw the incorporation of Royal Oaks, a new community within his district, and met and congratulated the newly elected municipal government leadership.

In 2007, King shifted his ambitions towards an open seat in the Gold Coast Senate. He announced his intention to run for the seat during the late fall, just two months away from the party primaries.

See also

• Gold Coast
• Politics of the Gold Coast

Political offices
Preceded by Nicholas Lyon	Member of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors from the 5th District 2005–2007	Succeeded by Michelle Bianchi
Preceded by Ethan Mendez	Member of the Gold Coast Provincial Assembly from the 17th District 2008–2012	Succeeded by Barry Bonds
Preceded by Kevin Mullins	Member of the Gold Coast Senate from the 2nd District 2012–2016	Succeeded by Ashley Nunes
Preceded by Michel Stagg	Governor of the Gold Coast 2016–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Amanda Bor	Royalist Opposition Leader of the Gold Coast Senate 2013–2016	Succeeded by Alan Manrique