The Political Beat Candidate Guide: North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance

CHARLOTTE — General elections in North Carolina are set for Nov. 5, and many statewide offices have candidates in the running from the Democratic and Republican parties.

Incumbent Republican Mike Causey is facing a challenge from Democratic State Senator Natasha Marcus.

Below are the unedited responses from each candidate.

Natasha Marcus

What is your occupation? NC State Senator, former litigation attorney

Why are you running? Like so many North Carolinians, I’m fed up with insurance companies squeezing our wallets while making record profits, and I’m sick of elected leaders misusing the public’s trust to enrich themselves and their friends. In the 8 years he’s been Insurance Commissioner, Mike Causey has approved an unprecedented 16 rate hikes and enabled a special loophole called Consent to Rate, or CTR, that allows insurance companies to bill NC consumers 250% more than the max rate! We pay inflated insurance prices due to Causey’s hikes and CTR — that’s unacceptable. It’s also wrong that he relies on $250,000+ in campaign contributions from insurance industry sources and rewards his friends and unqualified political cronies with plum jobs at the Dept of Insurance, paid by taxpayers. He’s supposed to work for the people, but has clearly lost his way. We deserve affordable, reliable insurance and principled leadership. I’m not taking campaign donations from insurance companies because I want to work for the people, without any conflict of interest. I’ve served in public office for 6 years without ever misusing taxpayer funds and have experience representing people in the courtroom and in the Senate. I’ll be the people’s Commissioner.

What is the most important issue and how do you plan to address it? We need a new Insurance Commissioner who will ensure NC consumers have access to reliable, affordable insurance for their property, health, business and vehicles. We need someone who will deny excessive rate hikes and work transparently for the best interests of the people. In the 8 years he’s been Insurance Commissioner, Mike Causey has approved an unprecedented 16 rate hikes and enabled the Consent to Rate loophole, allowing insurance companies to bill NC consumers 250% more than the max rate! This is a significant expense for family budgets. He approved all these hikes without holding a single public hearing — no data to justify the increases, no testimony under oath, and no cross-examination. Instead, Casuey meets with insurers in private, then announces yet another rate increase. He embraces CTR because it’s what insurance companies want, even though it means 45% of policyholders pay more than the maximum rate allowed under state law! I’ll end the rate racket and restore transparency and accountability to the process. I’ll hold public hearings and deny rate increases that are not justified by data. As a former litigation attorney, I’m experienced in the courtroom-like setting of public hearings, unlike my opponent who never holds hearings.

If elected, would you take any action to limit insurance rate hikes? Yes, by holding public hearings to ensure North Carolinians don’t pay one penny more for insurance than is justified. The Commissioner of Insurance is expected to be the people’s advocate and evaluate insurance rate hike requests in a public hearing setting. Every Insurance Commissioner since 1977 held public hearings on rate increase requests, except one: Mike Causey. As Commissioner, I will restore accountability and give the people the input they deserve by requiring insurance companies to justify their rate hike requests with data, presented under oath and subject to cross-examination by expert DOI staff in a court-like setting. The public deserves to know how much profit insurance companies are making in our state and to have an Insurance Commissioner who will deny rate increases that are unjustified or excessive. Once every four years, North Carolina voters have the ability to elect a single person to represent them in this job and they deserve to have a Commissioner who will work for them, not for the insurance companies. You can learn more about how Mike Causey’s rate hikes have affected your community at RateHikeMike.com

How can your office help people prepare for national disasters and ensure they are protected? Unlike Mike Causey, I have a plan to strengthen our communities against natural disasters. North Carolinians deserve peace of mind from strengthening storms and the damages they cause. The challenges we face—rising sea levels, more frequent storms, and chronic flooding—are already impacting our state, from the coast to the mountains. I will incentivize homeowners to upgrade their roof to FORTIFIED standards to help mitigate wind damage, lower insurance claims, and earn a rebate on their insurance bill. I will promote Flood Mitigation Grants and the Strategic Buyout Program to reduce risk and losses in flood-prone areas. I will work with partners to address the causes of increased natural disasters and mitigate the damages they cause, such as by updating fuel efficiency, resilience, and building standards. I will recruit more companies to write policies in North Carolina because more competition brings down prices and ensures insurance is available, despite the risks of weather-related damage. I’ll ensure the availability of the Coastal Property Insurance Pool and the FAIR Plan to protect high-risk properties. My commitment is to build stronger, more resilient communities while keeping insurance premiums affordable. You can learn more about all of my plans at NatashaMarcus.com/priorities.

What sets you apart from your opponents? Unlike my opponent, I don’t accept campaign contributions from corporate insurance PACs or their executives. Causey has accepted more than $250,000 from insurance industry sources — curious given that he is supposed to work for the people, in opposition to the insurance industry’s ever-present push to earn higher profits off the backs of North Carolinians. He was elected to work for the people of our state, but instead is cozy with the other side, defending insurance companies’ record profits and overuse of CTR. This isn’t surprising, given his history as a lobbyist and an insurance company employee. I’m free of entanglements with insurance companies, having never worked or lobbied for them. Unlike my opponent, my experience is in representing the people’s best interest, as an attorney and a Senator. I’m experienced in courtroom-like settings such as public rate increase hearings, and in the state government, as a 6-year member of the state Senate. I have a good working relationship with many of the key leaders in our state, including the Governor, Attorney General, and other members of the Council of State. You can learn more about my experience, endorsements, and priorities at NatashaMarcus.com.

Mike Causey

Mike Causey did not respond to the candidate questionnaire. We will update the page with their responses if we receive them.

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