The 2022 General Election saw familiar faces remain at the helm of insurance departments in California, Georgia, Kansas and Oklahoma.
In California, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara was elected to a second term after running against Robert Howell, a cybersecurity equipment manufacturer. Lara received 58 percent of the vote to Howell’s 42 percent.
Lara became insurance commissioner in 2018. He previously served in the California Legislature in both the state assembly from 2010 to 2012 and state senate from 2012 to 2018. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Spanish with a minor in Chicano studies from San Diego University.
Georgians chose Insurance Commissioner John King to remain at the Georgia Department of Insurance. He beat Janice Laws Robinson with 54.12 percent of the vote to 45.88 percent.
King became commissioner on July 1, 2019. He previously served as the Doraville, Ga., chief of police, an officer with the Atlanta Police Department and as a major general in the U.S. Army National Guard. He received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Brenau University and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt was elected over Kiel Corkran, receiving 63 percent of the vote to Corkran’s 37 percent.
Schmidt is a graduate of Kansas University’s School of Pharmacy, working as a pharmacist for more than 40 years. She served 14 years in the state’s legislature, including six as the chair of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. She serves on the Life and Annuity (A) Committee and the Property and Casualty (C) Committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready was unopposed in his bid for reelection and will start a second term in 2023. He is a former state legislator and insurance professional.