Peter King Bio
Peter Thomas King (born April 5, 1944) is an American former politician, attorney, and novelist who represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he served South Shore Long Island districts numbered as the 3rd and later the 2nd, encompassing parts of Nassau County and Suffolk County. He chaired the House Committee on Homeland Security and also served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Before his time in Congress, King served as Nassau County comptroller and worked in the Nassau County district attorney’s office. He is the author of three novels, including Terrible Beauty and Deliver Us From Evil. King announced in November 2019 that he would not seek re-election in 2020 and retired when his term concluded in January 2021.
Early Life and Background
Peter Thomas King was born in the New York City borough of Manhattan and raised in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens. He is the son of Peter E. King, a New York City police officer, and Ethel M. King, née Gittins. His paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants from the island of Inishbofin in County Galway, while his maternal grandfather was Welsh and his maternal grandmother was Irish, from County Limerick. He is Roman Catholic.
King attended St. Francis Preparatory School for his high school education. He went on to graduate from St. Francis College in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, and earned his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School in 1968. That same year, he began service in the 165th Infantry Regiment of the New York Army National Guard and joined the Nassau County district attorney’s office, where he worked until 1974, when he was honorably discharged from the regiment.
Path to US Politics
King first sought public office in 1977, winning a seat on the Hempstead, New York town council with the support of the Nassau County Republican Party machine led by Joseph Margiotta. In 1981, he successfully ran for Nassau County comptroller, again with Margiotta’s backing, and was re-elected in 1985 and 1989. As comptroller, he established a reputation for independence, frequently criticizing the budget proposals of Republican county executives Francis Purcell and Thomas Gulotta.
King ran for New York Attorney General in 1986, winning the Republican primary after Ulster County District Attorney E. Michael Kavanagh withdrew. He was defeated by incumbent Democratic Attorney General Robert Abrams. That statewide loss did not slow his ascent; by the early 1990s, he had positioned himself as a vocal Long Island Republican ready to move into federal office.
Peter King Career
Early Career (1977–1992)
King’s political rise began on the Hempstead town council in 1977, followed by his election as Nassau County comptroller in 1981. His four terms as comptroller gave him a strong base of experience in fiscal oversight and party machinery, while his 1986 run for state attorney general raised his profile beyond Long Island.
During these years, he also developed his longstanding involvement with Irish-American causes and Northern Ireland policy, traveling frequently to meet with members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and Sinn Féin. This activism made him a controversial figure in some quarters but cemented his identity as a foreign policy voice within the Republican Party long before he reached Capitol Hill.
U.S. House of Representatives Breakthrough (1993–Present)
King was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, winning New York’s 3rd congressional district after incumbent Democrat Robert Mrazek left the seat to run for the U.S. Senate. Despite being outspent five-to-one, King won 49.6% to 46.5%, beginning a congressional career that would span nearly three decades.
From 1993 onward, he rarely faced serious challenge on the South Shore of Long Island, often winning by double-digit margins. In 2006, he defeated Nassau County legislator Dave Mejias 56% to 44%, and in 2008, he won re-election with 64% of the vote against 25-year-old Democrat Graham Long. He was ranked the most bipartisan member of the U.S. House during the 114th Congress by The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy.
Committee Leadership Era (2007–2021)
King chaired the House Committee on Homeland Security, using the position to focus on counterterrorism policy, radicalization, and border security. He stepped down from the chair because of Republican conference term limits but remained a member of the committee. He also served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and in 2018, voted to release the Nunes memo over the objections of senior FBI leaders and Democratic members of the committee.
During his tenure, King supported the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, and President Barack Obama’s order to kill Osama bin Laden. He was an early advocate of closing the so-called “terror gap” by banning individuals on the terrorist watch list from purchasing firearms, and he co-sponsored bipartisan background-check legislation. He also supported the 2008 Wall Street bailout, citing its importance to New York’s financial health.
Notable Events and Milestones
In 2013, St. John’s University honored King with a Doctor of Laws degree and invited him to deliver the commencement address, recognizing his work assisting New York City following Hurricane Sandy. That same year, he held high-profile House Homeland Security hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims, drawing both praise from national security hawks and sharp criticism from civil rights groups who compared the proceedings to the McCarthy era. He announced his retirement on November 11, 2019, and resigned from the Financial Services Committee on January 15, 2020, closing out a 28-year congressional career.
Peter King Career Wins
Peter King won election to the U.S. House of Representatives ten times, representing New York’s 3rd and later 2nd congressional districts from 1993 to 2021. His electoral record includes victories against well-funded opponents and dominant wins when facing only token opposition, reflecting his durable popularity on Long Island’s South Shore.
U.S. House of Representatives Highlights
King’s first congressional victory came in 1992, when he defeated Democrat Robert Mrazek’s successor 49.6% to 46.5% despite being outspent five-to-one. In 2006, he defeated Nassau County legislator Dave Mejias 56% to 44%, and in 2008, he won re-election with 64% of the vote. His most recent and final congressional win came in 2018, after which he announced he would not seek re-election in 2020.
Other Wins & Achievements
Before Congress, King won election to the Hempstead town council in 1977 and was elected Nassau County comptroller in 1981, winning re-election in 1985 and 1989. In 2013, St. John’s University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his service following Hurricane Sandy.
Peter King Family
Family Background and Heritage
Peter Thomas King is the son of Peter E. King, a New York City police officer, and Ethel M. King, née Gittins. His paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants from Inishbofin in County Galway, while his maternal grandfather was Welsh and his maternal grandmother was from County Limerick. He is Roman Catholic and was raised in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens, New York City.
Personal Life
King married Rosemary Wiedl in 1967. The couple resides in Seaford, New York, and have two adult children. His daughter, Erin King Sweeney, served on the Hempstead, New York town council. King’s professional papers are held at the University of Notre Dame Archives.