US RPP NEWS: Auto insurance costs have become the central issue in the election for Georgia’s next insurance commissioner.
John King, the Republican incumbent appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp, says he’s looking for ways to protect consumers but also strike a balance to make sure insurers don’t flee the state.
Democrat Janice Laws Robinson, also her party’s nominee in 2018, is more direct, saying King’s efforts have been ineffective and she will do a better job of stopping Georgia drivers from paying increasing premiums.
It’s a sharp contrast in the downballot race to be Georgia’s insurance regulator. The office is also in charge of investigating fires and regulating building safety. Official figures for Georgia’s insurance market run years behind, but the state had the 10th most expensive average premiums in 2019, according to the Insurance Information Institute, with an average premium of $1,259.49, up from 13th most expensive in 2017. The question burst into public view in August when King issued a statement declaring himself “angry and disappointed” that Allstate Corp. had chosen to raise rates by 40% in a single year.
