2016 Statewides–IC–KWS Gets her multiple challengers.
I see that Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart has successfully enticed more than one primary opponent to challenge her. You see, that is the key for her continued and unfortunate presence in office: you line up the support of the Gordon-Williams machine in New Castle County, and then you get more than one primary opponent to divide the anti-KWS vote. That is imperative because the anti-KWS vote is always the majority of the vote when there is a primary, as she has never received more than 42.5% of the vote in a contested primary. And that was in 2008, when it was an open race to succeed then Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn, who was unfortunately running for Lt. Governor.
In 2004, when KWS faced Matt Denn in the primary, Denn won 58%-42%. In 2008, KWS beat out Gene Reed and Tom Savage, 42.5% to 39.3% for Reed and 18.2% for Savage. But 2012 was truly the KWS masterpiece. She was universally reviled as both incompetent and too close to the insurance industry to be a consumer advocate. Mitch Crane had emerged as a credible, and only, challenger to her. Once that happened, the writing was on the wall: KWS was going to lose. And then, miraculously, she earned two challengers from no where: former failed Congressional candidate Dennis Spivack and the unknown Paul Gallagher. And shockingly, they both took just under 20% of the vote each, while Crane took 30% and KWS 33%. Two thirds of the Democratic Primary voters rejected her, but she still won the nomination and hence the election.
New Castle County Sheriff Trinidad Navarro was KWS’s sole challenger, and he was making all the right noises to unite a campaign of opposition to KWS. For example, this is his campaign’s central theme:
Delaware deserves better. We can do better! “My campaign mission is to inform Delawareans of the importance of insurance to virtually all citizens. The actions and inactions of the current Commissioner relating to the affordability and availability of insurance for Delawareans has had a significant negative impact on consumers. Delaware has a clear choice in the next election to put our citizens first.” -Trinidad Navarro
But now Paul Gallagher is back.
The Insurance Department is not operating to its fullest capacity in serving the citizens of our state. Transparency is lacking within the Insurance Department and the communication coming from the Insurance Department is very poor. It is just business as usual with all of us paying more for our insurance. Businesses have been greatly harmed by the massive rate increases along with the diminished coverage in health insurance and families with young drivers are being hit especially hard as well on their auto insurance. I hope I can count on your support in solving and improving upon these issues.
I am sure she will earn more challengers too in the new year. Remember, four more years in office means her support has further dwindled, so now she will need 5-6 challengers so she can win with just 25% of the vote. Here is my advice to all Democrats, learned through the bitter tears that was the Crane campaign in 2012: if your goal is to defeat Karen Weldin Stewart, you have to vote for Trinidad Navarro. My apologies to Paul Gallagher, but he holds the name recognition in New Castle County and the support. Plus, he beat you to the race. So be a good chap and endorse him now. If you place this right, you can advise him during the campaign, given your background in insurance that it appears you have, and perhaps you can get a job in the new Navarro administration.
Tags: 2016, Featured, Karen Weldin Stewart, Paul Gallagher, Trinidad Navarro
With all due respect, go fly a kite. You have no evidence whatever that Trini Navarro would be better for the public than KWS, Paul Gallagher or anyone else.
He’s a) yet another cop who wants yet another non-public safety office and b) a Gordon acolyte. You’re going to have to convince me that mere incompetence is worse for the public than competent self-interest by someone with such connections.
“Go fly a kite” is perhaps the nicest insult ever hurled here at DL.
With all due respect to the esteemed Delaware Dem, given recent events, I would not postulate that an alliance with the Gordon-Williams “machine” will be a great benefit for any candidate for IC in 2016. Further, given Navarro’s standing as a Gordon disciple, it’s questionable whether KWS would have the support of that rickety machine.
Perhaps there is an opportunity for a third candidate in this campaign … but I don’t think Gallagher is up to the task.
Good points by Geezer and Mediawatch… the association with Gordon is something I did not consider.
What makes Trini a “Gordon acolyte”? Gordon was police chief when Navarro was hired. He did not do the hiring. Navarro never contributed to Gordon’s campaign and Gordon did not contribute to Navarro’s when he ran against Sheriff Walsh. In 2012, Gordon allied himself with Williams and Bullock and KWS provided the money to get on that ticket. Trini Navarro endorsed me early, hosted a fundraiser for me and campaigned for me. It was his support, and that of other key progressive elected officials in New Castle (Karen Peterson, John Kowalko, Ed Osienski, Earl Jaques) that enabled me to get the Party endorsement.
Paul Gallagher is or was best friends with Paul Reynolds-who became KWS’s Chief of Staff when she finally got rid of Elliot Jacobson. How is being an insurance agent qualification for being head of a regulatory agency? Why does selling insurance make one more qualified than someone who buys insurance?
What is required in an Insurance Commissioner is intelligence and integrity, a pro-consumer philosophy and the ability to bring into the department like-minded experts to advise you. Matt Denn admits that he knew nothing about insurance when he ran, but he surrounded himself with people who knew the industry and advanced his philosophy-put the consumer first. KWS brought in people who would do her bidding-and her bidding is a philosophy that whatever an insurance company wants is what is best. He was a great commissioner.
I believe that Trini Navarro is that type of person. If I did not believe that, I would be running myself.
Thanks, Mitch. With your comment, I am back on board the Trini bandwagon.
I know Trini pretty well also and I whole-heartedly support him. He has been a thoughtful sheriff with some really innovative ideas that he has implemented. Ask him about the efforts that he has put into making sure that homeowners who have lost their homes in sheriff’s sales aren’t further victimized by the system.
I have only heard Paul Gallagher speak once, and I couldn’t tell you what he said. I’m sure he is a nice guy, but Trini has been, is and will be a great public servant.
And a question for Mitch–let’s assume that KWS somehow loses the primary and Navarro is elected. Well and good. But in a lot of ways the horses left the corral several years ago and I’m not really sure what can be done going forward.
The sweetheart deals that gave Highmark first a monopoly in the private insurance market and then access to at least 30% of the current Medicaid market can’t really be undone, can they? (Very serious question.) I mean, at the moment, if we were looking for single-pay in Delaware (which I’m not) the largest single payer right now appears to be Highmark and not the US government.
Then there’s the virtual collapse of our ACA marketplace into–yet again!–a virtual Highmark monopoly. Or Highmark’s investment interest and skewed policies favoring Medexpress, or Highmark’s quiet move over the past five years to push independent medical billing services and independent optometrists out of business.
Most of these actions are well past the tipping point. I realize that on other fronts a new incumbent might be able to make a significant difference, but what exactly is left in the health insurance arena for Navarro to run on, since we are also seeing some of the largest premium rate hikes in the nation?
Paul Gallegher is a Weldin-Stewart plant. He worked for her after the primary in 2012. I am definitely supporting Navarro. Would not surprise me if someone else jumped in
In answer to Steve Newton’s question, and answering for myself, not for Trini:
I do not see a reversal of the Highmark takeover of BCBSD. However, having been involved with how large insurance companies respond to changes in insurance commissioners during my 4 years at the DOI, I believe that Highmark will be more likely to abide by all the consumer-oriented provisions of the merger approval.
Single-Payer Health Insurance is the best method of providing health insurance for all, as every other industrialized nation has shown. However, Vermont’s recent failed attempt to establish its own single-payer system shows that small states cannot do this on their own.
One major problem with the ACA market place is the failure of the State of Delaware to attract large companies other than Highmark. I know that Trini Navarro is concerned about this and wishes to attract companies writing ACA in other states but that do not feel welcome here. I also believe that with a new and competent IC, much of the ACA regulation could be returned to the DOI from the Dept of Health.
There are many other lines of insurance that need attention and I know that Trini is concerned about specific issues:
1. Most motor vehicle insurers discriminate against senior drivers-substantially increasing premiums as people age. Premiums should be based on claims history, driving experience and mileage driven.
2. Many homeowners insurance companies do not write policies anywhere near the water. Companies that wish to do business in Delaware, should offer policies everywhere-and set premiums based on risk.
3. There are only a handful of insurance companies that actually write policies for people living in manufactured housing and only 3 that write for older homes.
4. The current administration puts too much emphasis in growing its Captive Insurance Bureau (KWS crows about now having 1,000 Captives in Delaware) when no Delaware consumer benefits from Captive Insurance-which is just self-insurance for property and liability for large corporations. These corporations reap millions by transferring money into tax-free Captive accounts and then pay premiums tax that is half of what they would otherwise pay. The DOI’s emphasis under Navarro would be on consumer purchased insurance and not on gimmicks like Captive.
5. Workers Compensation premiums continue to rise under KWS and the only relief came last year when Matt Denn headed up a legislative-created panel that provided some relief. Premiums could be lowered by initiating real safety incentives, tying premiums to risk and claims history, and ending the game of allowing the insurers to ask for increases larger than they really want and then approving a smaller increase-that turns out to be what was really being sought.
6. Trini would restore the Consumer Services Division (which I once headed) to the status it had under Denn and until I left in January 2011. That status was that complaints against insurance companies and producers (agents and adjusters) were investigated and those found to have violated the law were prosecuted.
That is a start
Thanks, Mitch. I know there is stuff to do in the other areas. I guess my concern, or point, or worry, is that KWS pretty much screwed up health insurance here nearly beyond repair.
Thanks, all. Now I have reasons to vote for him.
Mitch latest response demonstrates why a draft Crane for Insurance Commissioner needs to be put into play. However Mitch’s good opinions don’t extend to Navarro’s . Other than he supported Mitch last time and hosted a fundraiser, Mitch offers no specifics on Navarro’s qualifications to be insurance commissioner. His ties to Gordon run beyond ex cops sniffing each others holster. When Gordon was indulging himself in the delusional folly of running for Governor he spoke of Navarro as his successor as County Executive. We all want to take out KWS. But your not going to beat a well financed 2 term incumbant woman (58% of democrat electorate are women) with an empty suit like Navarro. His only relavant experience is that his father was an insurance agent. What educational background or real life experience does he have that suggest that he is qualified to be the Chief regulator of the insurance indusry
AMEN to that last
Except smart women vote for who is the best candidate
not where a candidates “plumbing” is
John Fluharty and the GOP have set the table with the election of Ken Simpler, the first non incumbent statewide Republican to win in over 20 years, with the candidacy of former Sussex County Clerk of the Peace George Parrish. Just go to the archives of this site and find out more.
http://delawareliberal.net//2015/04/08/george-i-hate-the-gays-parrish-to-run-for-insurance-commissioner/
So much for growth within the GOP and expanding the base. There is a reason we have one party rule in Delaware, there is only one party that is actually playing.
To Amen and plumbing: Unfortunately a very small part of the electorate are as aware of KWS deficiencies as Delaware Liberal followers. She will be a very well-financed two term female incumbent running against an unqualified underfunded candidate with an hispanic surname. Mitch as he demonstrated in the last election could beat KWS but it would be no walk in the park. If we’re all serous about beating KWS, we need to draft Mitch Crane. As to the notion that women as so elegantly depicted by Amen don’t vote their plumbing, anyone that follows elections know that that’s not even close to true. Women(Emily’s List)Blacks(OBama)Hispanics, Catholics, Jews, etc have a strong bias toward the group they are a part of. Again, the unfunded empty suit challenger has no chance. If you care, put pressure on Mitch
I’ve known Trini Navarro for years and the thing I know is that he is all about service and helping people. I often site him as a “politician” that’s in it for the right reasons. He’s hardly an “empty suit”! If you look at his record, it’s obvious – he served honorably as a police officer for years and it’s amazing what he and his team have accomplished in the sheriff’s office. He turned an antiquated office that only did what it had to do into an office that actually helps and serves our citizens.
The Gordon charge is ridiculous. Is every cop that was hired while Gordon was chief a Gordon “acolyte”? There are a lot of police officers out there that would tell you otherwise and would be offended at that charge.
Lastly, concerning his lack of insurance experience, don’t you think it’s time we had an Insurance Commissioner that was fair and balance – one who was an advocate of the consumers? For me, the biggest plus in his column is that he has no ties to the insurance industry.
He has a website – check out the facts. Let’s get someone in there that will work for and represent us.
Trinidad Navarro would be way better then Karen Weldin-Stewart. I hope he gets in there and does things the way Matt Denn did things.
Mitch,
Do you think A single Payer health care system would ever be feasible in Delaware?
Do they make scrapple in New Castle County?
Not in Delaware by itself. The Vermont attempt determined that there would need to be a 10% earned income tax to pay for it. That would me more than many consumers currently pay in premiums. Delaware is similar in size.
A possible approach would be a regional compact between Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey or Pennsylvania.
.You folks just don’t get it. I reminded of the great line from Richard IV about the wish being the father of the thought. Beating KWS has nothing to do with integrity,whether he was a good cop or a good sherrif, whether he’s a dedicated public servant. It has to do with electability. Does he have the relavent experience and education? Can he raise enough money to convince voters in a state wide campaign that he would be better alternative to the present insurance commissioner.The answer is a clear no. While we all are of the opinion that KWS as Insurance Commissioner is a danger to the public, that won’t keep her from getting elected. What will would be a well-funded qualified candidate which Navarro isn;t. Mitch Crane is that kind of candidate and as I suggested in an earlier post, while I think he would beat her, it would not be easy and Trini Navarro is no Mitch Crane
The answer is NOT ‘a clear no’. While Mitch would likely have been a great IC, he chose not to focus much of his campaign effort in NCC.
That vacuum enabled Gallagher and Spivack to get all those anti-Karen votes in New Castle County.
Navarro likely has a BETTER chance to win than Mitch, if, for no other reason, b/c he has run and won in New Castle County. Where the votes are. Gallagher should not do nearly as well this time. Nor should Spivack.
And Tom Gordon ain’t bailing her butt out this time.
Thanks Mitch.
El Som: Sounds like another case of the wish being the father of the though.It;sdelusional to think Navarro would get more votes than Mitch Crane in New Castle County. Nobody knows who the Sherrif is. I would guess that Navarro’s name recognition in New Castle County is less than 15% and less than10% state wide. He won’t be able to raise enough money to get his name recognition up to electable levels let alone the resources necessary to run the negative campaign necessary to convince the electorate on why KWS should not be returned to office. But more importantly, he is not qualified to be Insurance Commissioner. He has no regulatory experience and is not a college graduate. You can’t defeat somebody with nobody and to suggest that Navarro would have a better chance of beating KWS than Mitch Crane is either delusionary and/or a wilful deception.
If you paid attention to Mitch’s campaign (I as a supporter did), you discovered that he was focusing far too much of his time in Sussex County, IMHO, which I believe he won.
About 5/7ths of the statewide vote comes from NCC. In my district, where I was beating the drum for Mitch, far too many people told me that he was invisible. You may not agree with me, but I wrote about his relative absence in NCC, and wrote about it with some anger (b/c I think it cost him the election). B/c he could have won if he’d ‘just showed up’ here. Since he didn’t campaign much here, people not inclined to vote for KWS found other alternatives.
You don’t need a bleepload of money to run for IC. As far as name recognition, beyond those of us who are paying attention, most people have (mercifully) never heard of Karen Weldin Stewart. And Navarro will campaign in NCC. I hope he then hires Mitch to be his top guy.
Godfather, I’ll bet you the pizza of our choice: Navarro gets more votes in NCC for Insurance Commissioner than Mitch did. Oh, and the beers to go with it.
I haven’t endorsed the guy, and I was on the Mitch bandwagon early, I’m just looking at it from my green-eye-shade perspective. BTW, guess that may be why my wife does all the finances in our household…
I appreciate the support that El Som, and DL, gave me in 2012.
Contrary to popular opinion, I was in NCC every week, sometimes 2 or 3 days a week. Proof is the 55,000 miles I put on my car in those 9 months. In retrospect, maybe I should have spent more time or practically lived in NCC. However, there were other factors that determined the race; factors that may not repeat in 2016:
1. I am an openly gay man in an election year when that was an effective issue against me. Though I grew up with Louis Redding’s daughters ( who rode the bus with me to the 1963 March on Washington) and was taught by Redding’s wife Ruth (whose legal affairs I handled until her death); though MLK was in my house when I was a child; though my maternal grandparents were friends of Paul Robeson ( and I was in HIS home with my grandmother); and though I was a civil rights leader in West Chester, PA, large segments of the Wilmington area African-American community were turned against me when told by my opponent and her supporters that I had “abandoned my wife and children for the man he is living with now”. Nevermind that we had no children and I met “the man he is living with now”-my husband-18 years after she and I divorced. How does one refute that without spreading it? Blue collar trade union leaders also supported KWS against me because of my sexual orientation.
Trinidad Navarro is straight.
2. The ticket of Dennis P. WIlliams, Christopher Bullock and Tom Gordon needed funding. KWS needed to be on that ticket. My understanding is that KWS “arranged” for insurance company money to be provided to that team in order to get them what they needed and her what she needed.
The 2016 Primary race in Wilmington appears to be very different and there may be little advantage in any candidate for another office running on a ticket with a mayoral candidate.
3. Though I was endorsed by the State Democratic Party, the Wilmington City Committee claimed KWS was the endorsed candidate. That will not repeat. The State Democratic Party endorsed me, but then turned its attention and energy to trying to save the endorsed NCC Executive and the Senate President ProTem. I and my race were ignored in NCC. That is not likely to repeat.
4. Turnout in Wilmington was unusually high in RDs 1 and 2, but low elsewhere in Wilmington and in the rest of New Castle County.
5. Though I did campaign in Wilmington, it was hard to talk insurance with people concerned about public safety AND I found may “leaders” offering to support me in exchange for funding. One person demanded $10,000. I refused.
6. The strategy was to target “likely” voters, lose Wilmington by a respectable margin, and win elsewhere, coming out of New Castle even. What went wrong in addition to what is above, is that thousands of “non-likely” voters turned out in Wilmington and thousand of “likely” did not turn out in the rest of NCC.
The figures show that many Wilmington voters voted for Mayor and nothing else. 2,000 more voters voted in the US Senate Primary than for Insurance Commissioner.
KWS had 1900 votes more than I did in Wilmington. I had 1900 more than she did in Sussex (where I came close to 50% in a four person field). I bested her by 400 in Kent. The difference in the end was a came in second in the NCC, losing it to KWS by 1400 votes. I lost by 1100 votes. The two minor candidates garnered 13,500 votes! She had only 33%. I had 31%.
7. Trinidad Navarro is well-known in New Castle County. Most all “older” voters know his face and name from his years on TV as the spokesperson for the NCC Police Department. He has campaigned in and won two elections. He campaigned with me in 2012 and I was amazed that everywhere we went people knew and loved him.
8. The increases in Democratic registration in Sussex County has resulted in thousands of new Democrats in Sussex. Navarro will do very well here.
9. Voters gravitate to candidates who are likeable and accessible. They like the candidate they “want to have a beer with” Trini Navarro is that type of candidate. KWS certainly am not. I was not either.
I have known Trini since he ran for Sheriff in 2010 and the New Castle County Stonewall members endorsed him. He is comfortable in his skin and comfortable around others. He is bright and a quick learner. He will be a welcome change because of those qualities and his integrity and desire to help people. I have not had a moment of hesitation in my decision to step aside and support him
10. I’d like to have a beer with you.
Wow, my gaydar sucks. I never knew you were gay, Mitch.
While many of us have the opinion that KWS is a bad Insurance Commissioner that is more concerned about the needs of the need of the insurance industry than the consumer, she still remains a formidable primary opponent. She has run 3 general elections for insurance commissioner winning 2 of them losing the third in a close election to the republican incumbent. She has run in three statewide primaries winning 2 of them. She has distinct advantages in the incumbency,fundraising, gender and name recognition. In the last primary on top of all those advantages, she was challenged by three men from New Castle County that were qualified and reasonably financed. the coup de gras was when Harris McDowell secured over $100k from the insurance industry to buy their the supp[ort of the gordon-williams-bulloclk team. With all that Mitch lost by about a thousand votes with the other two male candidates getting 37 % of the vote. Mitch would have clearly won a head to head race with her by a substantial margin. Mitch ran a great campaign both on the issues and organizationally. He lost because of the circumstance that created an almost unwinnable election that he almost won. He certainly is entitled not be subjected to the incorrect monday morning quarterbacking from El Som. Mitch you have my gratitude for running . Understanding the personal sacrifice involved , I can unerstand why you
would not want to run that gauntlet again. But since you’re by far our best chance,please reconsider running
The current commissioner needs to go.
I tried several years ago to have the commissioner’s office explain why my insurance company was allowed, over a three year period, a 14.6 percent increase in auto insurance and approximately 1000 dollars in home owner’s insurance during the deep recession. The staff refused to answer either “what information does the insurer give the commissioner?” or what information do you use to determine if a rate hike request is justified?” The former they claimed was proprietary information, and the latter, they simply refused to give. When I asked if I could get information on how much rate increase was allowed for other companies, I was told, “that would be impossible to give because all the folders would have to be examined.” When I asked if I could have the rate increases for four insurers I was told that they would try. I also asked why my insurance company was allowed to increase the insured value of my home from 250,000 to 450,000 dollars when home values had hit an abysmal low. I got no answer for this question either.
I emailed back and forth to the Insurance Commissioner and sent copies to my local congressmen. I got no help from either with the exception of an indirect suggestion that I should shop around more.
This all occurred about 5 years ago; I simply gave up. As far as I am concerned her entire office should have been investigated, but I can’t initiate an investigation.
And this is a classic example of why people hate politicians.