Keisha Sean Waites, a Democrat and former Atlanta city councilwoman, defeated Republican incumbent John King in Georgia's insurance commissioner race. She secured 2,255,519 votes, or 54.28%, while King received 1,899,615 votes, or 45.72%, with all 159 localities reporting as of November 4, 2026. The official results page lists the contest as "Commissioner of Insurance" and records one vote for the office, with the figures confirming the reported margin but remaining unofficial at the time of publication (Georgia Secretary of State). King, appointed in 2019 and later elected for a full term, lost to Waites, whose background includes work with the U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Division and FEMA, as well as service as a Georgia state legislator and Atlanta City Council member. Her campaign focused on a rate freeze initiative to stop unjustified auto and home insurance rate hikes and proposed a "Consumer Fraud Strike Force" to protect vulnerable residents from predatory scams. Insurance Journal described the outcome as an upset victory, signaling a major change in leadership at an agency that oversees insurance regulation and consumer protection in Georgia (Insurance Journal).
In Oklahoma, Republican Bob Sullivan won with 59% of the vote over Democrat Craig MacIntyre. Sullivan, described as a "property and casualty insurance expert" on his campaign website, holds credentials as a certified insurance counselor and risk manager. He currently works for the Alera Group and previously for Rich and Cartmill. Sullivan's campaign pointed to the withdrawal of insurance carriers from Oklahoma and his plan to restore competition and cut costs for policyholders.
Kansas and California Races
Kansas voters picked Republican Daniel Hawkins as their new insurance commissioner, giving him 58% of the vote against Democrat Dinah Sykes. Hawkins, who served as the Republican speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives and began his insurance career in 1995, ran on lowering costs, improving transparency, and holding fraudsters accountable. The previous commissioner, Vicki Schmidt, did not seek re-election and instead pursued the Republican nomination for governor.
California's insurance commissioner race remained unsettled as of Wednesday evening. Jane Kim, a former San Francisco Supervisor, led with 51.8% of the vote (3,333,281 votes), while Ben Allen, a Democratic state Senator, trailed at 48.2% (3,100,937 votes), with 20,864 of 23,860 precincts reporting, or 87.4% of precincts counted (News Press). Both candidates advanced from the June 2 top-two primary, where Kim received 26.8% and Allen 19.6%. Allen received endorsements from Republican Stacy Korsgaden, who finished third in the primary, and Democrat Patrick Wolff, who finished fifth. Both general-election candidates are Democrats, so the contest was decided between members of the same party rather than through a Republican-Democratic matchup. The winner will replace incumbent Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who is term-limited, and will lead the California Department of Insurance, which handles insurance-law enforcement, insurer licensing and regulation, and responses to public complaints and questions (ABC10). Kim's campaign platform includes a single-payer disaster insurance policy and a focus on making sure premiums protect policyholders. Allen, a state legislator since 2014, aims to strengthen the insurance market in response to wildfires and climate disasters, with plans for higher upfront payments and clearer claim processes after disasters.
Rising insurance costs and changing market conditions have drawn national attention, as reported earlier, with homeowners in many regions now facing higher premiums than property taxes.
