Washington Commissioner of Insurance
| Washington Commissioner of Insurance | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2011-2013 FY Budget: | $51,961,000 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Washington Code - 48.02.010 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Mike Kreidler |
| Officeholder Party: | Democratic |
| Assumed office: | 2001 |
| Compensation: | $116,950 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 8, 2016 |
| Last election: | November 6, 2012 |
| Other Washington Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education• • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner• Natural Resources Commissioner• Labor Commissioner• Public Service Commissioner | |
Contents |
The office of the insurance commissioner is responsible for overseeing the state insurance industry.
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Mike Kreidler (D). He has served in this position since 2001.
Authority
The office of insurance commissioner is established in the Washington Code.[1]
Washington Code - 48.02.010:
| There shall be an insurance commissioner of this state who shall be elected at the time and in the manner that other state officers are elected. |
Qualifications
Article 3, Section 25 of the state constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:
| Qualifications, Compensation, Offices Which May Be Abolished. No person, except a citizen of the United States and a qualified elector of this state, shall be eligible to hold any state office... |
- a citizen of the United States
- a qualified elector in Washington
Elections
In Washington, the insurance commissioner is elected every four years. Elections are held in November and winners assume office the following January, serving until their successors are elected and qualified.
Washington elects insurance commissioners in presidential years (2012, 2016, and 2020).
2012
Incumbent Mike Kreidler won re-election on November 6, 2012.
| Washington Commissioner of Insurance General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Mike Kreidler Incumbent |
58.3% | 1,662,555 | |
| Republican | John Adams | 41.7% | 1,188,926 | |
| Total Votes | 2,851,481 | |||
| Election Results via Washington Secretary of State. | ||||
Duties
The mission of the office of the insurance commissioner is to "protect consumers, the public interest and our state’s economy through fair and efficient regulation of the insurance industry."[2]
Duties include:
- Answering questions and investigating problems from consumers.
- Recovering money for consumers with insurance disputes or delays.
- Licensing and auditing the 48 insurers based in Washington and monitoring others that do business in the state.
- Testing, licensing and monitoring the individuals and businesses that sell insurance in the state.
State budget
The budget for the Commissioner of Insurance's Office in Fiscal Year 2011-2013 was $51,961,000.[3]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
In 2012, the Washington Commissioner of Insurance was paid an estimated $116,950 according to the Council of State Governments.
Contact information
Office of the Washington Insurance Commissioner
Capitol Campus - Olympia
Mailing address
P.O. Box 40255
Olympia, WA 98504-0255
Street Address
302 Sid Snyder Ave., SW, Suite 200
Olympia, WA 98504-0255
Phone: 360-725-7000
Free insurance consumer hotline: 1-800-562-6900
See also
External links
References
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