Anthony Welti

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Anthony Welti

Libertarian Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 4, 2020

Personal

Profession

Insurance Agent

Contact

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Anthony Welti (Libertarian Party) ran for election for Washington Commissioner of Insurance. He lost in the primary on August 4, 2020.

Welti completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Anthony Welti was born in Tulalip, Washington. His professional experience includes working as an insurance agent, where he is licensed for property and casualty in Washington. Before that, he worked in banking as department manager and corporate trainer.

Elections

2020

See also: Washington Insurance Commissioner election, 2020

General election

General election for Washington Commissioner of Insurance

Incumbent Mike Kreidler defeated Chirayu Avinash Patel in the general election for Washington Commissioner of Insurance on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Kreidler (D)	65.4	2,506,693
		Chirayu Avinash Patel (R)	34.1	1,308,292
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	18,576

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,833,561
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Washington Commissioner of Insurance

Incumbent Mike Kreidler and Chirayu Avinash Patel defeated Anthony Welti in the primary for Washington Commissioner of Insurance on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Kreidler (D)	59.0	1,402,650
✔		Chirayu Avinash Patel (R)	27.1	644,446
		Anthony Welti (L)	13.7	324,921
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	4,220

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,376,237
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Welti's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Anthony Welti completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Welti's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a husband and a father whose wife and infant son lost health insurance coverage in WA. I am on a mission to bring accountability, affordability and accessibility back to insurance and government in Washington.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Improving transparency and accountability are my foremost priority upon taking office. Most people have never heard of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, let alone understand how this part of state executive government impacts life in Washington. I am committed to bringing insurance back to the people. By focusing on transparent and direct communication; no vague rhetoric, closed door meetings, or secret handshakes with corporate lobbyists. I promise to never take any phone calls from corporate lobbyists, and if they try I will make their attempt to contact me public so that you, the citizen impacted by this cronyism, are aware of it. We the people will be back in charge, and no longer will suits and checkbooks decide regulation.
• Healthcare insurance should be affordable and accessible to all. As Insurance Commissioner, I will do everything I can to increase the availability of insurance options for Washingtonians so that they can purchase or abstain from purchasing as they choose. Furthermore many do not know that, in Washington State, insurance is taxed at both state and federal levels. Such government taxation on insurance consequently generates billions of dollars in revenue. Thus essential medical services incur taxational expenses that inevitably get passed on to the consumer. This unnecessarily inflates the cost of healthcare for every Washingtonian regardless of income capability. Health and wellness in Washington must be tax free.
• Every time an insurance company wants to offer a new product or has an idea of how to do things differently it must go through an extensive regulatory process, slowing down any savings for you. As a result, auto insurance costs are rising rapidly, while new products that could save you money linger for a year or more before being approved. Such bureaucratic regulatory processes are shrouded in red tape and cronyism thereby strangling innovation. One primary policy area I will spearhead is the removal of credit pull laws that are required in Washington every three years. This credit pull policy increases costs for insurance companies and consumers.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I seek a world of liberty: a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and are not FORCED to sacrifice their values for the benefit of others.

I believe that respect for individual rights is an essential precondition for a free and prosperous society. Brute bureaucratic force and fraud must be banished from human relationships. Only through FREEDOM can PEACE and PROSPERITY be realized.

Consequently, I defend each person's right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. This world I seek to build fosters individual freedom to follow their own unique DREAMS and where the government only steps in to protect your constitutional rights; not to deny them.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

I think the most important thing to realize is that this infrequently talked about position affects nearly every single person on a daily basis. The Office of Insurance Commissioner is tasked with vital duties such as consumer protection and regulatory authority over the entire insurance industry in Washington. A recent Gallup Poll rendered Healthcare the most pressing issue at this current juncture. Without a doubt the various contours of insurance are the most talked about concern in Washington. Regulatory power held by The Office of Insurance Commissioner impacts every aspect of insurance. From Home and Auto insurance, Small Business insurance, Life Insurance, Title insurance, and so much more affect the day to day lives of the majority of this state. The ability to navigate that in a way that represents all consumers is paramount and the incumbent has shown himself to be harshly partisan for decades. As a 3rd party candidate, I have the ability to work with all consumers, not just those that view things the exact same as myself. I vow to focus on the needs of others always.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honor and Integrity in politics, to me, means being true to principles, not giving in to outside pressures, and treating people with respect. It is a privilege to hold public office and officials ought to understand the great task entrusted to them. Accomplishing goals with a consistent character proves to people we serve that you are trustworthy. Politicians often talk about serving their constituents with false promises and fancy rhetoric. But, their attitudes and actions lack personal accountability, and they often fall short. I know that with my integrity and honor, I will not be swayed into self serving ways. As a husband and father, it is far too important to me to have a failure in that character. I aim to be empowering and loving. To show people that any single person can make a difference. To love people as they are today, perfectly flawed. To encourage you to stand up, help those in need, and not be fearful of what failures you might have.

I hope, more so than any policy we might speak about, that these traits are those of someone worthy of the privileged position of Washington State Insurance Commissioner.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to blaze a new path that instills accountability and honor that serves each and every individual in our state. I venture to stand apart from the broken two party system that is bought, paid for, and corrupt to the core. When I leave office I will leave the same way I came in, principled and uncorrupted from those that would want to use power to bribe and control my actions. Being appreciated as someone that was able to support all of your freedoms all of the time and refused to pick one group over another. Refusing to work with the corrupt aspects may mean my tenure is short lived but it sets the example of how to walk away from what is so obviously broken and to take the road less traveled, even when it means harder work and slower results.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I have a toddler so it was a song by local children's musician Casper BabyPants. Bookworm, I have heard it more time than is safe for any parents mental health!

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

This portion of Washington State's executive department is tasked with the ability to sanction all types of insurance policies by directing rates, setting where coverage can be sold, and most importantly consumer protection advocacy. I hope to make coverage as affordable and as accessible as humanly possible by boosting the amount of available packages. Insurance coverage in Washington State possess a track record where rates have only gone up and consumer choices have been severely limited. Under my administration we will save Washington consumers money and ensure people have access to the insurance they need.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Experience can always be helpful but what is important are the results an elected official secures for the people. The results that this 40 year career incumbent politician has achieved include increased costs of insurance, reduced amount of carriers, and a general dissatisfaction with insurance that makes most people angry to even discuss. The devil is in the details.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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