James King of Owego plans to challenge Congressman Langworthy in a 2026 Republican Primary election
From Friends of James King, King4NY23.com
When you first meet Jim, you have to ask yourself, “Why is this man declaring himself a Republican primary challenger to an incumbent congressman at the age of 81?”
Add to that the apparent conflict of 7 million voices loudly chanting “No Kings!”
Let’s start with the obvious. James G. King was born into the name; not the aspirations. He bills himself as a “moderate” Republican, prepared to work with colleagues of any party who will find solutions. But his real goal is to reverse what he sees as a violation of his most basic American right: the right to be faithfully represented.
“The man who today holds the right to speak for 776,000 residents of New York’s 23rd Congressional District has simply handed that vote to a would-be-emperor intent on God-like admiration at the expense of this country.” Jim shares his opinion of the incumbent Congressman without hesitation.
The incumbent at issue was first elected to Congress in 2022 after serving as New York State’s Republican chairman and Trump supporter for a number of years. The 23rd District of New York – virtually the entire southwest corner of the state – is and historically always was fire-engine red.
National candidates wearing a Democrat label would find more success marketing ice cream laced with bat guano in the 23rd district of New York. The Republican nominee is historically a virtual shoe-in with the exception of the brief tenure of Democrat Eric Massa.
“I’m convinced my neighbors in this district never intended to forfeit their voices to someone who refuses to exercise his Constitutional responsibilities as a protector of the common good,” King says. “While the self-serving President rules by whim and executive order, our congressman sits silent and enabling; only speaking to praise those orders.
“I believe every single member of the House and Senate who has allowed this painful government shutdown should be refused any contribution to a re-election campaign and must face a primary challenge,” King insists. “If nothing else, my campaign is a way to declare that the Republicans in this district did NOT pre-authorize the values or the chaos we see today.”
If it means Jim King becomes the nation’s oldest contender for a congressional seat, he’s okay with that. There are reportedly others (some even older) who are considering similar races around the country, but virtually all of them are familiar names who have been in office before.
Jim lives in Owego, NY, a village of less than 4,300 residents that hosted almost 500 at the last No Kings rally. Owego is about 250 miles distant from the western-most community of the district. That’s a lot of miles and more than enough town hall sessions for a candidate of 81 years with admittedly limited financial resources but the heart and dedication of a gladiator.
“My wonderful wife of 58 years and I agree; we wish someone half my age with an unlimited bank account would take up the gauntlet to stop this dereliction of civic duty. But until that happens, we won’t give up.”
True to the purpose, King has created a website (https://king4ny23.com/) with an open platform addressing his position on the day’s issues. As a fierce defender of the First Amendment, he boldly declares he would support legislation that would make it crime for an elected official to “create or propagate material lies.”
Similarly, he would ambitiously pursue term limits: five (two-year) terms for the House; two (six-year) terms for U. S. Senate. He’d favor federal anti-gouging legislation to limit profits for health care insurance carriers benefitting from federal subsidies. And he would support a law prohibiting federal shutdowns like the one now crippling the nation.
Jim King isn’t looking for a late-life profession. He’s investing in a clear statement that most Americans are not satisfied with the broken campaign promises, the “me-first” greed and the corruptions of the justice system that has protected the nation for nearly 250 years. He’s counting on his fellow lifelong, self-declared Republicans to reject the policies that have so contorted their party into what it has become.
Though Jim openly declared his intention to become a primary candidate long before the bell-weather elections of this month, the numbers have confirmed at least some 2024 GOP supporters have awakened from what many describe as a cult-like hypnotic trance.
He’s also counting on the other national party to learn from the lessons of offering solutions to problems and igniting new voters instead of whining about the evils of the other guy. Since inauguration of “the other guy” in January, the new-outrage-every-day headlines have made frightfully clear the other guy’s faults.
Can he pull it off? Certainly not on his own. “Traditional” media outlets – the printed and broadcast corporate-run outlets have essentially ignored his declaration of candidacy as the musings of an insignificant novice. In person, Jim King is soft-spoken and easily dismissed as a harmless irritation to the bosses in control today. But’s he’s superbly well-read and deeply committed to waking others to the need for change.
The incumbent himself probably doesn’t even know he might be challenged. Like so many MAGA coat-tailers in this House of Representatives, the 23rd District incumbent has yet to hold an in-person town hall where the temperament of his constituents might be visible.
So, Jim’s chances are really in the hands of the voters who feel like he does. Jim needs word-of-mouth to spread news of his campaign and recruit one-at-a-time volunteer help in the dozens of District communities where No Kings assemblies have happened.
The first concrete help will be collecting names on nominating petitions right after the start of the new year. New York requires the signatures of only 1,250 registered Republican voters on petitions qualifying Jim for a primary race. The state today identifies 155,343 registered Republican in the 23rd District. That’s really only a few dozen in each place the rallies have taken place but nobody at those rallies waves their party affiliation card.
Jim’s website has both email and phone contacts for those who want to help. And even for those who want to discuss his platform or issues.
The inevitable question remains: what if James G. King actually wins the primary, becomes the winner in a pure-red district and is elected to Congress in 2026? What if a silver-haired David with only a sling full of awareness actually overcomes this Goliath?
“I will, most importantly, prove that this administration and its enablers in Congress need to remember their oaths sworn to the Constitution and serve their purpose as a balance to the bitter and wrong-headed executive branch, Jim says.
“I’ll proudly take that to Washington, keep my promises and serve only one term with the confidence that my successor will do the right thing.”
Maybe at the next rally we’ll see a sign that says, “We want a King who SHOULD be elected!”
King published this OP-ED in June of 2025:
