Georgia and Oklahoma insurance races move toward November and runoff votes

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Georgia, Oklahoma insurance elections

Highlights

Keisha Sean Waites wins 58.70% in Georgia's Democratic primary, advancing to face incumbent John King in the November insurance commissioner election.
In Oklahoma, Bob Sullivan (37.37%) and Marty Quinn (27.68%) move to an Aug. 25 Republican runoff, with the winner to face Democrat Craig MacIntyre to succeed term-limited Glen Mulready.
California insurance commissioner race advances Democrat Jane Kim and state Sen. Ben Allen to the general election, as incumbent Ricardo Lara is term-limited.

Primary results set next stage

As reported by AM Best, Georgia Democrat Keisha Sean Waites wins 58.70% of the primary vote, ahead of DeAndre Mathis at 41.30%, based on unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State.

Waites moves on to face incumbent Insurance Commissioner John King in the November general election. Her campaign says her background includes three terms in the Georgia Legislature, service as an Atlanta City Councilmember, and 15 years of work with the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Small Business Administration.

Her campaign platform includes aggressively challenging unjustified rate requests, ending the use of ZIP codes and credit scores in rate setting, and creating a dedicated fraud task force. King, who was first appointed in 2019 after his predecessor was indicted on embezzlement charges and was reelected in 2022, is campaigning on recovering taxpayer money, tort reform, support for the state-based health insurance exchange and anti-fraud efforts.

In Oklahoma, Republican candidates Bob Sullivan and Marty Quinn advance to an Aug. 25 runoff after no candidate secures a majority in the primary. With all precincts reporting, Sullivan takes 37.37% of the vote and Quinn receives 27.68%, according to the Oklahoma State Elections Board.

Regulatory experience and succession stakes

Oklahoma's runoff rules require the top two candidates to compete again when no contender wins more than half of the vote. The winner is set to face Democrat Craig MacIntyre, the only Democratic candidate in the race.

Quinn previously serves in both chambers of Oklahoma's Legislature and chairs the Senate Insurance Committee, while also spending more than 40 years growing a local insurance agency. Sullivan also brings insurance credentials, including certifications as an insurance counselor and risk manager, a chartered property/casualty underwriter and an associate in fidelity and surety bonding.

MacIntyre has worked in insurance since 1993, mainly on the carrier side in actuarial work, product development, risk management, and legislative and government relations. The Oklahoma field is competing to replace Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready, who is term limited.

In California, Democrat Jane Kim, a political organizer and former San Francisco supervisor, and state Sen. Ben Allen are also set for the general election for insurance commissioner. The winner there replaces term-limited Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.

Our earlier coverage of the Makerfield Westminster by-election focused on how a single local contest became a broader stress test for party cohesion and challenger momentum, with Labour facing internal tensions and a fragmented opposition vote. We also noted how aggressive digital campaigning—ranging from heavy social advertising to misinformation and deepfakes—was influencing voter perceptions and raising scrutiny of candidates and messaging.

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