Montana and Washington State have new insurance commissioners while North Carolina and Delaware reelected their commissioners. North Dakota’s commissioner ran unopposed.

Montana Republican James Brown won the state auditor and insurance commissioner position with 62% of the vote. Brown replaces Troy Downing who has held the position since 2021 and didn’t seek reelection. Instead, Downing ran for the District 2 U.S. House of Representatives seat and was elected.

Brown has been a private practice attorney for the past 18 years. He stated on his campaign website that Montanans can count on him to reduce red tape for businesses, enforce the law, and safeguard seniors from financial abuse. Brown didn’t specifically mention auto insurance.

“As your state auditor, I will vigilantly serve as your government watchdog, prosecute bad actors, and defend our Montana way of life,” he states on the site. “Though I hold a Montana insurance producer’s license, unlike some previous candidates for this important office, I am not an insurance industry insider.

“I have spent my entire career defending the interests of consumers and investors and will continue to do so in this key position. I have zero tolerance for those who violate the law or attempt to financially abuse seniors and other vulnerable groups. As someone who runs a small business, I will also work to create a regulatory environment that is fair to entities willing to provide much-needed insurance coverage to Montana citizens.”

In an emailed statement to the Montana Free Press following the election, Brown wrote that he is “dedicated not only to protecting the last best place, and our Montana way of life; but also to protecting my fellow Montanans who I strongly believe are the last, best, people on earth.”

“I will build on the solid record of my predecessor, Commissioner Troy Downing, to promote consumer education and consumer advocacy, work to lower insurance costs by promoting competition, reduce the regulatory burden on Montana businesses, and hold bad actors accountable,” Brown said.

Democrat Patricia Kuderer will be Washington State’s next insurance commissioner. She won the race with 57.2% of the vote. Commissioner Mike Kreidler didn’t seek reelection. He is serving his sixth term.

Kuderer was elected to the Washington State Senate to represent District 48 in 2017 and presently holds the office. She previously was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 2015.

Kuderer listed lowering the cost of auto insurance as a main issue on her campaign platform.

“I am deeply honored by the trust Washingtonians have placed in me,” Kuderer said in an emailed statement to AM Best. “This victory is for everyone who believes that our insurance system should work for people, not profit margins. Together we’ll ensure fair, transparent policies that give Washington families the security they deserve.”

Republican Commissioner Mike Causey won his third term over Democrat Natasha Marcus with 52.1% of the vote. Causey was elected as insurance commissioner in 2016 and re-elected in 2020.

“It’s my constitutional duty to stand up to the insurance industry and hold them accountable and to champion transparency to protect our consumers,” Causey stated on his campaign website prior to Election Day. “That’s why I have rejected every single rate hike proposed for your homeowner’s insurance — forcing the insurance companies to negotiate and provide the lowest and best rates possible for North Carolina homeowners.”

Causey said he has more than tripled the number of criminal investigators with statewide jurisdiction to over 50 officers while in office. He also hired four attorneys appointed to work with the state district attorneys in prosecuting fraud cases.

Causey participated in a Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) meeting in Richmond last year to provide details on what he can and can’t do when it comes to collision claims. He, along with Virginia Bureau of Insurance Commissioner Scott White, highlighted how the collision repair industry can help educate policyholders on their rights and spark change in alleged unfair business practices by carriers.

“We have to go exactly by the state law and the state legislature so if you want to change things, that’s where you change it, working with your legislators,” Causey said at the meeting. “If you don’t get it all at one time, you may have to do a little bit at a time, but you can get those changes. We’ve found year by year [they’re] working on tightening things up.”

He encouraged shops to bring any carrier practices that concern them to the DOI with documentation so it can be investigated.

Delaware Commissioner Trinidad Navarro, a Democrat, won against Republican Ralph Taylor with 58.6% of the vote.

Navarro has held the position since 2017. He previously worked for 20 years with the New Castle County Police and was elected New Castle County Sheriff in 2010 and 2014.

Republican Commissioner Jon Godfread ran unopposed in North Dakota.

Godfread was first elected to the office in 2016. He previously worked as a legislative intern for North Dakota in the House Finance and Tax Committee and worked full-time as a legislative aid in the State Tax Department. From 2005-2007, he worked as a branch manager and personal banker for Alerus Financial in Grand Forks.

“The most vital job I can fulfill in this role is to ensure the consumers of North Dakota are properly protected with and educated about the insurance they purchase,” Godfread said on his campaign website. “You can continue to count on me to guarantee our insurance companies are solvent and able to pay claims when they are called upon, without pricing consumers out of the market.”

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