North Carolina: Insurance Commissioner Candidates Discuss Issues

The Insurance Federation of North Carolina sponsored a forum for insurance commissioner candidates in Charlotte on Sept. 24. IFNC is a NAMIC advocacy partner.

The event drew more than 100 insurance industry representatives from companies and agencies doing business throughout the state. Audience members were anxious to hear from Democrat and current Assistant Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and Republican and Raleigh businessman John Odom to determine how they each might behave as North Carolina’s first new chief insurance regulator in more than 20 years. Libertarian candidate Mark Wayne McMains did not participate.

“Goodwin and Odom seemed to agree on several issues, most notably that the residual market mechanisms for both auto insurance and coastal property insurance need to be improved,” observed Liz Reynolds, NAMIC Southeast state affairs manager, after attending the forum.

Moderator David Marlett of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University posed questions on those topics as well as workers compensation. Prior to the forum, IFNC asked all three candidates to respond in writing to a questionnaire, so that industry members could study their responses and compare statements made over time.

“It's important that employees and agents become educated about the commissioner candidates and their positions,” Reynolds said. “Family members and friends will look to the ‘insurance people’ they know for guidance on Election Day.”

For another opportunity to consider the candidates’ positions on issues of interest to our industry, log on to a Webcast Candidates Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. IFNC is hosting the webcast from the offices of NCFREE.

Direct questions to NAMIC State Affairs Manager Liz Reynolds.

Posted: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 12:00:00 AM. Modified: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 12:54:10 PM.

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We are 1,400 property/casualty insurance companies serving more than 135 million auto, home and business policyholders, with more than $196 billion in premiums accounting for 50 percent of the automobile/homeowners market and 31 percent of the business insurance market. We are the largest and most diverse property/casualty trade association in the country, with regional and local mutual insurance companies on main streets across America joining many of the country’s largest national insurers who also call NAMIC their home. More than 200,000 people are employed by NAMIC members.