▁ 2 5 th ▁and ▁ 2 8 th ▁Governor ▁of ▁New ▁Mexico ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁His ▁terms ▁were ▁non - con sec utive ▁because ▁the ▁New ▁Mexico ▁constitution ▁did ▁not ▁allow ▁govern ors ▁to ▁succeed ▁themselves ▁before ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁due ▁to ▁term ▁limits . ▁ ▁King ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁governor ▁who ▁could ▁succeed ▁himself ▁after ▁the ▁term ▁limit ▁laws ▁were ▁changed ▁to ▁two ▁and ▁ran ▁for ▁re e lection ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁but ▁was ▁defeated ▁for ▁a ▁fourth ▁term ▁by ▁then ▁Republican ▁business man ▁and ▁future ▁Libert arian ▁president ial ▁nom ine e ▁Gary ▁Johnson . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁ ▁King ▁was ▁married ▁to ▁his ▁wife ▁Alice ▁for ▁ 6 1 ▁years ▁until ▁her ▁death ▁on ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Their ▁son ▁Gary ▁King ▁served ▁as ▁New ▁Mexico ▁Att orney ▁General ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁Democratic ▁nom ine e ▁for ▁governor ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁King ▁was ▁recover ing ▁from ▁a ▁procedure ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁to ▁adjust ▁the ▁pac em aker ▁that ▁was ▁impl anted ▁after ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁heart ▁attack ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁He ▁died ▁on ▁November ▁ 1