Georgia and Oklahoma insurance races move toward November and August runoff

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Georgia and Oklahoma insurance races

Highlights

Keisha Sean Waites wins 58.70% in Georgia's Democratic primary and will face incumbent John King for Insurance Commissioner in November.
Bob Sullivan and Marty Quinn advance to Oklahoma's August 25 Republican runoff after receiving 37.37% and 27.68% of the vote, respectively, in the primary.
Oklahoma and Georgia commissioner races hold regulatory implications for insurer pricing, market conduct, and anti-fraud policies, with new leadership expected in both states.

Primary results set next election stages

As reported by AM Best, Democrat Keisha Sean Waites wins 58.70% of the vote in Georgia's primary, according to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State, and secures a November contest against incumbent Insurance Commissioner John King.

Waites' campaign highlights her 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. If elected, she says she would challenge unjustified rate requests, end the use of ZIP codes and credit scores in rate setting, and create a dedicated fraud task force.

King, who was first appointed insurance commissioner in 2019 after his predecessor was indicted on embezzlement charges, was reelected in 2022. His campaign centers on recovering taxpayer money, tort reform, support for the state-based health insurance exchange, and fighting fraud.

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

Oklahoma's election rules require a candidate to secure more than half of the vote to avoid a runoff. Quinn's campaign points to his legislative experience in both chambers and his past role as chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, as well as more than 40 years building a local insurance agency.

Quinn says his message focuses on consumer protection and affordability, and he argues that his background in farming, family business and agency management gives him broad experience in dealing with people. Sullivan's campaign says he brings industry credentials including insurance counselor and risk manager certification, chartered property/casualty underwriter status, and an associate designation in fidelity and surety bonding.

Regulatory leadership stakes in state insurance markets

The Oklahoma runoff winner goes on to face Democrat Craig MacIntyre, who says he has worked in insurance since 1993, mainly on the carrier side in actuarial work, product development, risk management, and legislative and government relations. The race is open because current Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready is term limited.

In Georgia, the November contest will decide whether King keeps the office or Waites brings a different policy approach to rate oversight and anti-fraud enforcement. The outcome carries weight for insurers and consumers because the commissioner oversees pricing, market conduct and other core state insurance functions.

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

Attempts to obtain comment from Sullivan and Waites are unsuccessful.

A recent U.S. Senate Small Business Committee hearing highlighted lawmakers’ criticism of federal economic policies they say are squeezing small firms, including through tariffs, health-care-related costs, and shifts in federal contracting. Our earlier article noted claims that small business contractors have lost significant contract opportunities since 2025, alongside calls for measures such as tariff refunds, stronger oversight of pricing practices, and changes to lending rules affecting immigrant and permanent-resident entrepreneurs.

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