King says he's running for state rep to help working people
By Alli Knothe TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
Editor's note:The second in a series profiling the candidates for state representative in the 16th Worcester District.
Asked if he had ever thought he would be a politician, Khrystian King bristled in his chair.
"Call me a representative," he said.
Mr. King is 42 years old, an elected representative of the state's union for human service workers, a social worker and a Quinsigamond Village homeowner.
He is one of five men vying for the Democratic nomination in the race against Republican Carol Claros to fill John P. Fresolo's seat in the House of Representatives for the 16th Worcester District. The primary will be held Aug. 13, with the election Sept. 10.
Mr. King said he differs from the other candidates through his experiences as a social worker, a union leader and union member.
"I'm quite confident in saying that there hasn't been a candidate that is as well rounded in this position for a very long time," he said.
Mr. King said that if elected, he would support bills that would invest more money in schools and infrastructure.
"The No. 1 overall priority is to make sure our education is funded," he said. An important part of that is also making sure funding continues for art and music education, he said.
Mr. King also wants to increase funding for the Enhanced Community Options Program for seniors, which supports seniors living independently in their homes. The program has been cut more than 11 percent since 2002. He also said the Meals on Wheels program "needs to be fully funded."
Mr. King noted that his father has been hospitalized at the Kindred Hospital Park View in Rochdale since February. He said it is important to improve access for seniors to affordable medication and health care.
Mr. King said he supports gay marriage, and would back legislation to encourage first-time home buyers though agencies and programs that are already in place to help them.
"We're Democrats. There's a lot of issues we hold in common," he said. "Issues with seniors are a priority ... public safety. I'm aligning myself with issues that will shape the lives of children, families and working people."
In the wake of George Zimmerman's acquittal in the shooting death of black Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, Mr. King, who is black, said, "This campaign is on the precipice of history."
"I've been told that a candidate with my profile will not win in this district. I exponentially disagree with that statement," he said.
Mr. King said he is no stranger to working to get things accomplished at the state capital through his union work. He said he has picketed for different causes many times, both in and out of Service Employees International Union Local 509.
"I'm known for standing up for workers' rights," he said. "That's what we need on Beacon Hill. We have plenty of attorneys, career politicians; we need more people who put working people first."
Referring to a comment Democratic rival Daniel M. Donahue made during a forum about working with unions, Mr. King said, "There's a difference between being around the table and being at the table.
"If you look at the Statehouse, the champions of labor are those who came through the ranks."
Mr. King has been endorsed by state Rep. James J. O'Day, D-West Boylston, with whom he worked as a union representative and a social worker over the years.
As of his July 24 campaign finance report filed with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, Mr. King's campaign had received $500 in donations from SEIU Local 509.
Mr. Donahue has strong ties to the carpenters' union through his father, Jack Donahue, and has so far received $1,750 from unions. His campaign finance report was filed July 22.
Taking another shot at the mayor's aide, as well as 19-year-old candidate Joshua Perro, whose family owns Perro's Flowers, Mr King said he is standing on his own feet.
"I'm not running because of who I'm related to. I'm not running because of who I know," he said.
Mr. King's parents immigrated to Worcester from Bermuda. He has two brothers, one a major in the U.S. Army and the other a civil rights lawyer in Philadelphia. He said his father was a small-business owner and his mother was a teacher and a substance abuse counselor.
For the past 18 years, Mr. King has run the summer basketball league at Crompton Park.
He said the sport is a passion for him. A star point guard in high school, he went on to play at Wheaton College and has coached for Quinsigamond Community College, Becker College and St. Peter-Marian Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School.
During his time as the league director, Mr. King said, he has worked with public safety officials to curb gang violence in the area.
In 2007, he was in the news for a controversial decision to kick two squads out of the summer league after a fight involving 40 of the players.
When asked about that decision, Mr. King became emotional and said it was "one of the most difficult situations I had to deal with."
He said his choice was to ensure the public safety of the league and send a message to the young men involved that they needed to change their behavior.
Mr. King said he would make the same decision today, and pointed to it as a time when he stood up to political pressure, as others urged him to ban only a few players.
For the past 15 years, Mr. King has worked for the state Department of Children and Families as a social worker. He said that although the job can be challenging, it gave him a view of the community that other candidates have not had.
He said he is running for state representative to make an even bigger impact on the district.
"It's about helping my neighbor," he said.
Contact Alli Knothe at aknothe@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @KnotheA