Weekly Opinion Editorial
by Steve
Fair
On August 25th, Oklahoma Republican voters will choose the Party's nominee in four races: Governor, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Labor Commissioner and Insurance Commissioner. Last week, we looked at the races for Governor and State Superintendent of Public Instruction. This week, we will look at the other two races- Labor Commissioner and Insurance Commissioner.
Labor Commissioner. Only four states elect a Labor Commissioner through a statewide vote. Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon and Oklahoma. In the other 46 states, it is a gubernatorial appointment. There has been a movement for the Oklahoma governor to appoint, but that would require a vote of the people to amend the State Constitution.
Oklahoma's Labor Commissioner is responsible for supervising the administration of all state laws relating to labor and workplace safety and gathers and publishes information about the workforce of Oklahoma.
Four candidates ran for the GOP nomination for Labor Commissioner. No candidate received a majority of the vote in the June primary, so the top two advanced to the August runoff. Rep. Kevin West has represented House District 54 (south OKC/Moore) since 2016. West received 41.8% of the vote in the primary. His opponent is Rep. John Pfeiffer who has represented House District 38 (Grant, Garfield, Kay, Logan and Noble counties) since 2014. He received 35.3% of the vote.
The two candidates have similar backgrounds- both served in the State House (the legislature, not prison) at the same time. This race has been mostly civil, but recent mailers have the candidates accusing the other of being a 'radical,' (whatever that means).
In this race, voters have a unique opportunity: They can simply compare how the two candidates voted on key legislation and then vote for the one who aligns with their views/values.
Insurance Commissioner. Eleven states elect an insurance commissioner. In the other 39 states, the position is a gubernational appointment. Like the Labor Commissioner, to make the Insurance Commissioner an appointed position would require a vote of the people.
The Insurance Commissioner enforces state insurance laws, regulates thousands of insurance companies, licenses insurance professionals, and protects consumers by investigating complaints and ensuring market fairness. The agency has an annual budget of $35 million and has 12 divisions, and about 120 employees.
Four candidates ran for the GOP nomination for
Insurance Commissioner. No candidate
received a majority of the vote in the primary, so the top two advanced to the
runoff.
Bob Sullivan received 37.4% of the vote in the primary, with former State Senator Marty Quinn got 27.7%. Sullivan, from Inola, has been an independent insurance agent for twenty years. Quinn has spent 40 years in the insurance agency, in addition to serving in the state legislature for 16 years, representing Rogers County.
The two candidates agree Oklahomans are paying too much for insurance, but disagree on how to handle it. Sullivan agrees with AG Drummond's lawsuit against State Farm and Allstate. At a candidate forum, Sullivan suggested jail time for insurance executives. Quinn said that wasn't the answer and those who suggested it were sensationalizing the issue. He pointed out insurance companies pass on lawsuit costs to their customers in the form of rate hikes.
The incoming Insurance Commissioner will wield more power over rate hikes than their predecessor. House Bill 3781 was passed by the legislature this year and takes effect July 1, 2027. It will empower the next insurance commissioner to challenge excessive rates.
Quinn recognizes the balance needed for insurance providers to make a profit in the state and for Oklahomans to not get fleeced by the insurance companies. Trying to force business to lose money by suing them will result in their abandoning the market, resulting in less options for Oklahoma consumers. In this race, Marty Quinn is the clear choice.
Primary runoffs are notoriously famous for low voter turnout. Former Vice President All Gore was right when he said: "A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls." Don't be that guy! Do your homework and vote in the primary runoff August 25th!
