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.