Insurance commissioners normally have a tough time getting media attention. The job is one of those positions that, if they are doing their job, most people do not remember they are there. No offense to insurance commissioners, but it is largely a job that requires one to go about their business, without much spotlight, and, generally, not many opportunities for political gamesmanship.
The previous insurance commissioner in Georgia did catch quite a few headlines for a while, but not for reasons most elected officeholders would prefer. Fraud and money laundering are not good strategies for a reelection campaign. They can also get you suspended from office, like Gov. Brian Kemp did to Jim Beck in 2019. Beck was suspended following his indictment on charges that he defrauded his previous employer out of $2 million, spending at least part of the money on funding his campaign for commissioner.
Now, *Acting Insurance Commissioner John King is in the somewhat odd position of running for reelection as an incumbent but never having run for statewide office before. That little “I” that appears next to a candidate’s name can be a big boost however. Tricia Pridemore was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal in 2018 to fill the remaining term for Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise and was “re-elected” that fall.
King is working on improving his name identification and actively campaigning already. King just wrapped up a statewide tour, visiting supporters in every corner of the state – including a visit with former state Rep. Terry Rogers, former Congressman Doug Collins and former Governor Nathan Deal in Gainesville.
King was the Chief of Police in Doraville, after becoming an Atlanta police officer in 1985. King had little experience in the insurance world but has served in a number of management positions, including as a major general in the U.S. National Guard. He served in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was a military advisor for the Deputy Minister of Interior for Security.
King made history as the first Hispanic statewide official in Georgia history. King is actually a native of Mexico and fluent in Spanish. Spanish language television station Univision even joined him on the recent statewide tour. King occasionally took center stage during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic as a Spanish language translator for many of Governor Kemp’s messages.
In his role as Insurance Commissioner, he also asked health insurers to cancel health policies for non-payment until further notice and for insurers to waive all co-payments for Covid-19 testing.
After the fallout from Beck, one of King’s priorities has been restoring trust in the office. “I was tapped in 2019 to serve as your Insurance Commissioner and restore trust in the Department. While I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in two years, there is still more work to be done in the fight to put Georgia consumers first,” said King.
Once the other campaigns really kick off in the fall, it will get that much harder for King to get much attention from voters, his early tour may help when it comes time for support next year.
