Georgia, Oklahoma, Kansas elect new insurance commissioners; California still counting votes
Published on November 5, 2026
Georgia, Oklahoma and Kansas all elected new insurance commissioners Tuesday, while California’s race remained too close to call Wednesday evening.
In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Sean Waites defeated incumbent Republican John King, winning 54% of the vote.
King has held the position since 2019, when he was appointed by the Governor. He was elected for a full term in 2022.
Sean Waites is a former state representative and Atlanta city councilwoman.
She also previously worked as a disaster reservist/commercial loan specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Division and in several Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) roles, according to her LinkedIn.
Waites says that the rate freeze initiative is a top priority on her campaign page. This includes aggressively reviewing and challenging unjustified auto and home insurance rate hikes.
She also wants to end ZIP code and credit score discrimination by investing in modern equipment and faster response times for Georgia’s rural and underserved communities.
Another of Waites’s priorities is a “Consumer Fraud Strike Force” to protect seniors and vulnerable families from predatory insurance scams.
Republican Bob Sullivan won the race for Insurance Commissioner in Oklahoma with 59% of the vote. He ran against Democrat Craig MacIntyre.
Current commissioner, Glen Mulready, has reached the end of his second term. Insurance commissioners in the state hold the position for four years and are limited to eight-years in the position.
Sullivan identifies himself as a “property and casualty insurance expert” on his campaign website.
He states his expertise includes being a certified insurance counselor, certified risk manager, chartered property and casualty underwriter, associate in Fidelity & Surety Bonding and a certified environmental specialist.
Sullivan currently works for the Alera Group and previously for Rich and Cartmill, the website states.
“Bob has seen carriers pull out of Oklahoma, leaving entire industries with one option and homeowners forced to pay more—or go without,” the website states. “He’s running to restore competition, cut costs, and deliver fast, fair claims for the people who actually pay the premiums.”
Kansas voters elected Republican Daniel Hawkins to the insurance commissioner position with 58% of the vote. He ran against Democrat Dinah Sykes.
The four-year position has no term limits. Vicki Schmidt, a Republican, has served in the role since 2019. She did not run again so she could pursue the Republican nomination for governor.
Hawkins, Republican speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, started a career in the insurance business in 1995. He specialized in employee benefits for small businesses, according to the website.
He was elected to the Kansas House in 2013.
“As Insurance Commissioner, I will wake up early every day and get to work, making sure we have an Insurance Department that stands strong for the hardworking people of Kansas,” Hawkins says on the website. “I’ll never stop fighting to lower costs, improve transparency, and hold fraudsters accountable.”
Hawkins’ website states he will focus on lower costs, holding the powerful and fraudsters accountable, and restoring competition and choice.
As of Wednesday evening, the California race for two Democrats running for the Insurance Commissioner position was still too close to call.
Jane Kim had 52.2% of the vote and Ben Allen 47.8%, as of Wednesday evening.
Political Action Committees (PACs) have contributed a record $6 million in campaign donations to the California Insurance Commission race, according to a CalMatters report.
The article says this includes $3.2 million to support Allen and $1.5 million to oppose Kim.
Kim previously served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, as California political director for Bernie Sanders, and as California director for the Working Families Party, according to her campaign website.
Her priorities focus on “affordable, available insurance for all,” the website states. She proposes a single-payer disaster insurance policy for state residents.
The website also says she’ll ensure premiums cover claims, or lower them.
“Insurance companies should spend premium dollars on their intended purpose: protecting policyholders,” the website states. “If companies collect more than they need to cover claims and a reasonable profit, that money should go back to policyholders or be invested in statewide resilience, not huge payouts at our expense — like the $27 million salary one insurance company CEO was paid last year.”
Allen has served in the state’s legislature since 2014, according to his campaign website. He lists climate and environmental policies as a focus during his tenure.
Allen’s plan focuses on strengthening the state’s insurance market as wildfires and climate disasters intensify.
“My plan will restore a competitive insurance market, ensure Californians are treated fairly after disasters, and build resilient communities that can withstand the climate challenges ahead,” he states on his website.
Fighting insurers that “deny and delay” and post-disaster insurer compliance are other planned action items, Allen’s site claims.
This would include higher upfront payments for coverage, requiring insurers to clearly explain claim denials and maintain post-disaster real-time reporting on delays and outstanding claims.
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Feature photo courtesy of adamkaz/iStock
Embedded photos courtesy of campaign websites.