Peter King 2016: 8 Facts About Personal Life of Potential GOP Presidential Hopeful

Taking control of the White House once again tops the Republican Party wish list in 2016. New York Rep. Peter King has a head start on many of the other presidential hopefuls who are emerging almost daily, angling to earn the party's nomination.

Talk of a Peter King 2016 ticket started in 2013 when a New York Daily News report noted that King told a New Hampshire radio station he was visiting the state because he was running for president.

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Personal lives play a big part in which candidates win the White House. Here are eight personal facts about the New York congressman, who has served in the United States House of Representatives since 1993.

1. Lifelong New York resident

King was born in Manhattan and raised in Queens. He received his undergraduate degree in political science from St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.

After graduating from Notre Dame with a law degree, King returned to his home state. He settled in Nassau County in 1968 and has resided within New York's borders for more than 45 years.

2. Married with children

King married his wife Rosemary in 1967. The couple have two children and now also have two grandchildren. They have resided in the same home in Seaford since 1971.

3. Published author

King has authored three novels based on his political experiences. His books are titled “Terrible Beauty,” “Deliver Us From Evil,” and “Vale of Tears.”

4. Financed his own education

When he attended St. Francis College, King avoided piling up student loan debt by working full-time at the Railway Express Terminal on the West Side of Manhattan.

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5. Belonged to a union

While working at the Railway Express Terminal, King was a member of the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freighthandlers, and Station Employees.

6. Military veteran

King served his country in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1968, he joined the 165th Infantry Regiment of the New York Army National Guard, and was honorably discharged in 1974. 

7. Practiced law

After earning his law degree from Notre Dame in 1968, King went to work as a lawyer for the Nassau County District Attorney's Office. He worked there until 1974.

8. Man of faith

King is a devout Catholic. He traces his Catholic roots to his paternal grandparents who were Irish immigrants.

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