WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: Candidates for Insurance Commissioner Square Off

Candidates for Insurance Commissioner Square Off

by Jon Kalahar

jkalahar@wlbt.net

The battle for the office of insurance commissioner will be an interesting race to watch the last month and a half before the November general election.

Both candidates spoke at a luncheon in downtown Jackson today.  And neither Gary Anderson nor Mike Chaney pulled any punches.

The state department of insurance will have a new leader for the first time in thirty years. And Gary Anderson and Mike Chaney are willing to fight it out for that job.

"Mr. Chaney has continued to take money from insurance companies and agents," said Anderson.

Gary Anderson accused Mike Chaney of being controlled by big insurance companies. Chaney says if Anderson is elected, it's like selling the office to the highest bidder.

"You cannot represent people like trial lawyers and personal injury lawyers in this state who have an interest of trying to buy this office," said Chaney.

However, between the jabs back and forth at each other's character, Anderson and Chaney talked about changing the insurance climate in the state.

"The idea is to move people out of the high-risk state-run wind pool and move them to the private sector; that should be the goal of the insurance commissioner," said Chaney.

"We know we've got to have more competition in the rural areas of the state; that's one of the main things I look forward to doing," said Anderson.

Lowering insurance rates in Mississippi is important to both as well as getting the coast rebuilt.

 "The issue is providing lower, available, reliable, affordable insurance," said Chaney.

 "Mississippians don't want someone making promises; Mississippians want people keeping promises in our state," said Anderson.

Both Gary Anderson and Mike Chaney grew up in Mississippi.  Anderson was executive director of the state department of finance and administration.  Mike Chaney has served in the state legislature as both a representative and a senator.