State Sen. Patty Kuderer of Bellevue, a Democrat, is poised to be Washington’s subsequent insurance coverage commissioner, in command of regulating the automotive, well being and residential insurance coverage industries and advocating for shoppers.
As of Wednesday, Kuderer held a virtually 15-point lead over her Republican opponent, Sen. Phil Fortunato of Auburn. The Related Press known as the race for Kuderer late Tuesday. She would be the first new insurance coverage commissioner in 24 years.
She is going to succeed Mike Kreidler, who did not search re-election.
Kuderer, 65, has served as a Democratic state lawmaker since 2015, first within the Washington Home of Representatives and now as a senator. As insurance coverage commissioner, she mentioned she is going to proceed work she’s completed within the Senate to push for common well being care.
As house and auto insurance coverage prices rise as a result of inflation, climate-related disasters, extra automotive crashes and different components, Kuderer’s plan to scale back charges contains rising transparency in how premiums are calculated within the auto insurance coverage business and exploring danger evaluation methods to restrict how local weather change drives up premiums for householders.
Fortunato, an outspoken conservative who’s been a Republican state senator since 2017, ran a sharply totally different marketing campaign from Kuderer. He known as a common well being care system “costly and dangerous.” His plan to decrease insurance coverage charges included lowering regulation and increasing the variety of insurers in Washington.
Fortunato launched a marketing campaign for secretary of state earlier this 12 months however withdrew from that race when the Washington State Republican Occasion endorsed a unique candidate for the workplace.
By the top of the race, Kuderer had raised $438,586 and Fortunato had raised $81,705.