3/6/08
King adds to growing list of sheriff’s candidates
By Cathy Gilbert

Retired law enforcement officer and self-employed farmer Henry King Jr. announced his candidacy for Clarendon County Sheriff last week.

King, 62, is a native of Manning and a 1963 graduate of Manning Training High School. He attended South Carolina State University and graduated from Morris College in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Following a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, King worked for the Manning Police Department from 1968 to 1975 and was a Clarendon County Sheriff’s Deputy from 1975-1980. He was an investigator with Williamsburg County from 1982 to 1984 and was chief of campus security at Morris College from 1986 to 1988. He served with S.C. Probation and Parole in Clarendon County from 1994 to 1996. Concurrent with his law enforcement career, King has been an active farmer in the Wilson/Foreston community.

“It is my belief that the challenges of growth for Clarendon County need to be addressed proactively and effectively,” King said in a prepared statement. “I will work to serve the public by enhancing our partnership with the community to enforce the law and ensure a secure detention (center). This would aid in providing a safe environment for the citizens of Clarendon County. I will be committed to providing the highest quality of law enforcement services to the people that visit, live and work in our county. I will constantly evaluate and promote our efforts to enhance public safety with the goal of improving the quality of life in Clarendon County.”

King has served actively with the Clarendon County Soil and Water Commission, a post he was elected to in 2002.

“I believe that my degree in business administration coupled with my professionalism and past law enforcement experience help me with my interaction with the citizens of Clarendon County,” he said. He added that he believed he could help to “ensure that Clarendon will be effective in its fight against crime and (be) a safer place to live.”

King is married to the former Barbara Williams, a teacher at Manning High School. The couple has three children; a daughter, TySounda and two sons, Trey and Brandon. The Kings are members of Williams Chapel Christian Church.

King’s entry into the sheriff’s race brings the total candidates to six, joining incumbent Keith Josey, Manning Police Chief Randy Garrett, retired S.C. Highway Patrol officers, Luther Faulk and Leroy McElveen and Sylvester Samuels.

Filing for the June 10 primary opens on March 16 and closes two weeks later on March 30.