February 24, 2024 • 34 mins
Prepare to be captivated as we scrutinize the high-stakes skirmish for NC's Insurance Commissioner position, where the Republican primary is setting the stage for a transformative battle. We've got the scoop on three distinct contenders: the reform-minded Andrew Marcus, public service veteran C. Robert Brawley, and the incumbent aiming for continuity, Mike Causey. Uncover the intricacies of their platforms, from Marcus' taxpayer championing and anti-fraud strategies to Brawley's consumer protection ethos and Causey's efficiency improvements.
By the end of our episode, you'll be well-equipped with a nuanced understanding of the candidates who are vying to oversee the state's insurance policies. Whether it's Marcus' pledge to combat external influences, Brawley's strategic focus on safer infrastructures, or Causey's battle against rate hikes, these narratives are essential for informed voting. Join us as we unravel the layers of policy, personality, and politics that will shape the future of insurance in North Carolina.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amanda Benbow Lunn (00:11):
Hello friends, thanks for joining me
and the NC Deep Dive.
I am your host, AmandaBenbow-Lunn, and we are delving
into the 2024 primary election.
Each episode will cover adifferent race that will be on
your primary ballot thiselection.
When you go to vote, you willbe handed a ballot based on your
address and party affiliation.
(00:31):
If you are unaffiliatedsometimes also referred here as
independent then you will haveyour choice of which party's
ballot you would like to vote.
Please note that you are onlyable to cast one ballot and that
there are no primary ballotsfor the Green Party or the no
Labels Party.
Moreover, candidates for thegeneral election in November who
(00:52):
do not have a primarychallenger will not appear on
your primary ballot.
They get a pass directly to thegeneral election.
Due to time constraints and theplethora of candidates, and my
belief that having as muchinformation as possible is of
vast importance, our primaryelection segment will consist of
me covering one race at a time,as time allows, and going over
(01:16):
each candidate's website andwhat I can find on a simple
Google search, in case it iseasier for you to take in
information this way.
If you are short on time, youcan check out our NC Deep Dives
Voters Guide for the 2024primary election, found pinned
to our Facebook page or on thisepisode's show notes at www.
ncdeepdive.
com.
(01:38):
It will be an easy way toaccess each candidate's website
and research the candidates onyour own.
If that's a better use of yourtime, without further ado, my
friends, let's dive in.
This episode will cover theNorth Carolina Commissioner of
Insurance on the Republicanballot.
You will have three options tochoose from.
(02:00):
You may vote for one.
The three candidates are AndrewMarcus, C.
Robert Brawley and Mike Causey.
We're going to begin withAndrew Marcus' website, which is
marcusfornc.
com.
That's marcusfornccom.
It says Andrew Marcus,insurance Commissioner.
A conservative fighter for thetaxpayer.
(02:21):
Vote Republican.
Andrew Marcus for InsuranceCommissioner.
Meet Andrew.
Andrew Marcus is a volunteerfirefighter, prosecutor and
committed conservative.
He's never run for politicaloffice before, but he feels
strongly called to fight for thepeople hurt by higher insurance
rates and neglected by divisive, unproductive politics.
In the Insurance Commissioner'soffice, he started his career as
(02:43):
a prosecutor, where he workedhand in hand with law
enforcement to achieve justice.
He has worked as an insuranceregulator and personally led
investigations of insurancecompany misconduct which
resulted in fines of hundreds ofthousands of dollars on the
companies who took advantage oftheir customers.
Now Andrew serves as avolunteer firefighter and a
lawyer in private practice.
(03:03):
He is uniquely qualified tobring an outsider's perspective
to the role of insurancecommissioner.
He has represented all sides inthe insurance industry
policyholders, small businesses,doctors, agents, hospitals and
insurers.
Andrew comes from 11 generationsof North Carolinians, with one
ancestor signing the MecklenburgDeclaration.
(03:25):
He and his wife, sophie, havetwo sons and love to spend their
free time doing anythingoutdoors.
There's a quote from him sayingfrom day one my top priority
will be to protect consumers andkeep costs low.
No more political games,andrew's priorities.
North Carolina's insurancecommissioner should work for you
, not the insurance companies orfor political cronies.
(03:47):
But that's not the case today,and that's why your rates are
increasing year after year.
It's time to hire a conservativefighter for the taxpayer.
Here's my pledge to you Helpyou keep more of your money.
Too many people are strugglingto keep their heads above water
thanks to harmful effects of JoeBiden's disastrous economic
agenda.
Increased prices are everywhere, including insurance rates.
(04:10):
But Joe Biden isn't the onlyone to blame.
North Carolina's home and autoinsurance rates have increased
more than inflation.
Thanks to a commissioner who ismore concerned about himself
than you.
He's allowed rates to increasewith no transparency.
I'll fight for better rates,especially for those hardest hit
.
Crack down on fraud andfraudsters.
Insurance fraud drives up thecosts on everyone else and
(04:33):
scammers are increasingly moresophisticated in their attempts
to defraud everyone.
To save you money, I'll standup for ratepayers and root out
the fraud and abuse.
As a former prosecutor, I won'tback down to anyone.
After natural disasters, conartists take advantage of
vulnerable, hurting people, butnot just then.
Every hour of the day you'reunder attack by scammers.
(04:55):
No one will be a betteradvocate to keep North
Carolinians protected fromscammers and con artists.
Defend an independent state firemarshal.
As a volunteer firefightermyself, I know that politicians
don't understand the challengesfacing those who put their lives
on the line every day.
I believe the state firemarshal should be a career
firefighter who is familiar withthe needs of firefighters, and
(05:18):
the insurance commissionershould work with the state fire
marshal to advocate effectivelytogether.
Specifically, that meansfunding workers' compensation
for volunteer departments andadvocating for a sound
preemptive medical expensecancer fund.
All firefighters in the stateshould receive NFPA 1582
physicals and true pre-cancerscreenings.
(05:39):
And I'll fight for non-profitfire departments to be combined
back into local governmentretirement in order to boost
better employee pools andlongevity for those protecting
rural areas.
Investigate the ChineseCommunist Party's influence.
No insurance regulator hastaken steps to investigate
China's influence on theAmerican insurance industry.
(05:59):
The insurance industry isespecially vulnerable to CCP
Chinese Communist Partyinfluence.
Insurers hold vast amounts ofdata on businesses and
individuals, including theirmost sensitive medical data.
Publicly traded insurance havesome insight, but little
investigation has been done intothe influence of the CCP on
(06:20):
mutual and closely held insurers.
I will investigate companiesthat do business in North
Carolina and find out if the CCPhas any influence over them.
Release your choices.
A free market benefitsconsumers, forcing businesses to
compete for your money andtrust.
I'll fight to expand NorthCarolina's market, increase
price transparency and simplifythe red tape, and to make sure
(06:41):
your trust isn't abused.
I'll put my experience as aregulator and prosecutor to work
for you, making sure every ratepayer is protected from
fly-by-night operations thatwon't exist.
At the moment of crisisCrackdown on ESG, big Wall
Street companies have pushedinsurers to adopt ESG standards
that only serve to pushpolitical agendas and increase
(07:03):
rates on North Carolinians.
I pledge to take action tocrackdown on these companies
where they impact in-state rates.
There's a button where you candonate to his campaign if you
feel so moved, but otherwise,that is the end of his website.
I did a quick Google search onAndrew Marcus and nothing of
(07:23):
note really came up on the firstpage.
Looking at his information onballotpedia, he does have
campaign finance information forthe 2024 election, which
includes January 1st 2023through December 31st of 2024.
He has $4,784 in totalcontributions with nine unique
(07:46):
contributors, one of which ishimself.
His expenditures have totaled$126 and he has a total of six
unique payees.
He did loan his campaign$25,000.
Andrew Marcus did fill outballotpedia's candidate
connection survey so, if you'reinterested, there are about
eight questions there with hisresponses.
(08:09):
And moving on now C.
to Robert Brawley, his websiteis RobertBrawley.
net.
It says Robert Brawley forNorth Carolina Commissioner of
Insurance.
A lifetime of service to NorthCarolina, committed to improving
North Carolina's future.
Robert Brawley's extensiveknowledge of insurance policies
(08:30):
and regulations, coupled withhis commitment to consumer
protection, make him an idealchoice for the position of
Commissioner of Insurance.
Why, Robert?
This was written in September15th of 2023.
Welcome to the campaign forRobert Brawley for North
Carolina Insurance Commissioner.
Why the Insurance Commissionermatters?
Do you realize that the NorthCarolina Insurance Commissioner
(08:50):
is one of the most crucialelected positions in our state.
This office oversees andregulates insurance companies,
mutual benefit associations,hmos and, more Essentially, it
impacts every business callingNorth Carolina home.
Did you know?
The Insurance Commissioner hasthe authority to enforce the law
, including the suspension orrevocation of licenses for
(09:12):
insurance agents and companiesoperating in North Carolina.
This power helps maintainconsumer safety and business
ethics.
The Insurance Commissioner'smission is to ensure fair
pricing, protect insurancecompanies' solvency, prevent
unfair practices and guaranteeinsurance coverage availability.
It's a position that plays acritical role in our state
(09:32):
government.
Meet C Robert Brawley.
C Robert Brawley, a true NorthCarolinian, has a remarkable
background in both athletics andpublic service.
As a former ACC WrestlingChampion and Lieutenant Colonel
in the NC Army National Guard,he brings dedication and
discipline to everything he does.
With a degree in engineeringoperations from NC State
(09:54):
University and a successfulcareer that includes insurance
agencies, constructionbusinesses and more, robert is
ready to bring his experience tothe role of Insurance
Commissioner.
He served as a legislator inthe North Carolina General
Assembly for 20 years andreceived the National Legislator
of the Year Award in 1995.
His commitment to publicservice extends to his role as a
(10:16):
Sunday school teacher and achurch lay speaker for over 30
years.
Campaign Priorities.
Robert Brawley's campaign forNorth Carolina Insurance
Commissioner focuses on severalkey issues Regulating insurance
businesses to protect consumersand promote good business
practices.
Ensuring strict enforcement ofinsurance laws.
Promoting fairness for bothconsumers and carriers.
(10:38):
Maintaining fair competition inthe insurance industry.
Enhancing building code safety.
Developing a more competitiverating system.
Responsible in fair reportingon all accounts.
Promptly addressing consumercomplaints.
Upholding the commissioner'sduty to maintain fair pricing,
protect solvency and ensureinsurance coverage availability.
(10:59):
Introducing insurance classesin high schools.
Robert believes that theinsurance commissioner's role is
a substantial responsibility.
With your support and hisexperience, he is ready to
assemble the right team to serveNorth Carolina effectively.
Get involved.
If you're ready to worktogether for the people of North
Carolina, reach out to RobertBrawley.
(11:20):
Your support is vital tosecuring a brighter and safer
future for our state.
Together, we can make adifference.
He has an advertisement for anupcoming Trey Taylor Country
concert that he is sponsoring.
The event will be held March1st 2024 at 6.30 pm in the
Moorsville High School PACAuditorium.
(11:40):
And that's in Moorsville, northCarolina.
Why, robert?
Vote Robert Brawley for NorthCarolina Commissioner of
Insurance?
To strengthen our state'sfuture.
Experienced a steadfastcommitment to safeguarding
consumers and promotingtransparency within the
insurance industry.
Experienced why the insurancecommissioner matters.
Do you realize that the NorthCarolina Insurance Commissioner
(12:03):
is one of the most crucialelected positions in our state?
This office oversees andregulates insurance companies,
mutual benefit associations,hmos and, more Essentially, it
impacts every business callingNorth Carolina home.
The Insurance Commissioner isnot just about insurance.
They also serve as a state firemarshal, ensuring safety
standards, grants for firedepartments and more.
(12:23):
It's a vital role that oftengoes unnoticed.
Did you know that the InsuranceCommissioner has the authority
to enforce the law, includingthe suspension or revocation of
licenses for insurance agentsand companies operating in North
Carolina?
This power helps maintainconsumer safety and business
ethics.
The Insurance Commissioner'smission is to ensure fair
(12:44):
pricing, protect insurancecompany's solvency, prevent
unfair practices and guaranteeinsurance coverage availability.
It's a position that meets acritical role in our state
government.
Meet C Robert Brawley.
C Robert Brawley is a true NorthCarolinian and has a remarkable
background in both athleticsand public service.
As a former ACC wrestlingchampion and Lieutenant Colonel
(13:05):
in the NC Army National Guard,he brings dedication and
discipline to everything he does.
With a degree in engineeringoperations from NC State
University and a successfulcareer that includes insurance
agencies, constructionbusinesses and more, robert is
ready to bring his experience tothe role of insurance
commissioner.
He served as a legislator inthe North Carolina General
(13:26):
Assembly for 18 years andreceived the National Legislator
of the Year award in 1995.
Always campaigning on Togetherwe Can, his commitment to public
service extends to his role asSunday school teacher and church
lay speaker for over 30 yearsCommunity driven, prioritizing
policies that not only protect.
Community driven, prioritizingpolicies that not only protected
(13:49):
consumers but also empoweredcommunities to thrive and make
informed insurance choices.
When you click the button, ittakes you to meet Robert.
Welcome to the official page ofthe Robert Brawley for North
Carolina Commissioner ofInsurance campaign.
We are committed to serving thegreat state of North Carolina
by advocating for fair,transparent and consumer
friendly insurance practices.
Our vision Our vision is simpleyet profound to ensure that
(14:13):
every North Carolinian hasaccess to affordable, high
quality insurance coverage.
We believe that insuranceshould provide peace of mind and
financial security toindividuals, families and
businesses across our state.
Meet Robert Broly.
Robert Broly is a candidate forNorth Carolina Commissioner of
Insurance who brings a wealth ofexperience to the table, with a
background in insurance and along history of public service.
(14:36):
The North Carolinian isdedicated to protecting the
rights and interests of NorthCarolina's residents.
His track record of integrity,accountability and effective
leadership makes him the idealcandidate for this role.
Our commitment as a campaign theRB campaign are committed to
transparency and accountability.
We pledge to advocate forconsumers we will tirelessly
(14:57):
work to ensure that insurancepolicies are fair, accessible
and responsive to the needs ofthe people in North Carolina.
Promote industry integrityRobert believes in a thriving
insurance industry that operatesethically and responsibly,
benefiting both businesses andconsumers.
Support innovation Robert willactively explore and support
innovative solutions to addressemerging insurance challenges
(15:21):
and an ever-changing world.
Engage the community we valueyour input and engagement.
Together we can shape thefuture of insurance in North
Carolina.
Get involved we invite you tojoin our campaign and help us
make a difference.
Whether you're interested involunteering, contributing or
simply staying informed aboutour progress, there's a place
for you in our community.
Thank you for your support andfor sharing in our commitment to
(15:42):
a better insurance future forNorth Carolina.
Together, we can achieve abrighter, more secure tomorrow.
The third reason for why RobertA love for NC, a tireless effort
to improve the lives of itsresidents during his time.
When you click on the LearnMore button, it takes you back
to the Meet Robert page, which Ijust went over.
We can make a difference inNorth Carolina.
(16:04):
Why vote for Robert?
Robert Brawley's longstandingdedication to public service and
his experience in the insurancesector make him a strong
candidate for the role ofCommissioner of Insurance.
His track record of advocatingfor policies that benefit both
consumers and the insuranceindustry demonstrates his
ability to find balancedsolutions.
With Robert Brawley in office,north Carolina can expect a
(16:26):
Commissioner who will worktirelessly to ensure fair and
effective insurance practicesfor all residents.
Clicking the Learn More buttontakes you back to the Meet
Robert page, which I havealready read.
Latest articles Explore theRobert Brawley for Insurance
blog for insightful updates oninsurance policies and the
(16:46):
campaign's vision for NorthCarolina.
There is a Donate Now sectionthat says insurance rates in
North Carolina are out ofcontrol.
The time for new leadership isnow for North Carolina.
There are buttons to donate andvolunteer.
That brings us to the end ofRobert's website.
Looking him up on Google, I didfind a couple of articles from
(17:10):
back in October of 2017.
This one is from WRAL, butthere were a couple that I saw.
It says former state lawmakersent to jail in Bailbond's
company fight Former staterepresentative Robert Brawley,
who ran a long shot campaign forgovernor last year, was
sentenced Friday to 15 days injail on a contempt of court
charge tied to a civil casebrought against him by his
(17:32):
business partners.
The underlying civil lawsuitfigures into a long-standing
battle between competingelements of the state's bail
bonding industry, which Brawleyhas been financially involved in
.
It says, among other thingsBrawley, an Irredell County
Republican who spent some 20years in the state house, was
accused by his partners offorging documents and sharing
(17:52):
company financial informationwith a competitor.
Brawley's attorney in the case,stephen McCloskey, confirmed
the contempt of court decisionFriday but said he was limited
to saying more by gag orders inthe case.
The article goes on to sayBrawley served two stints in the
General Assembly and he buckedparty leadership during both of
them.
He had a public falling out in2013 with then-house speaker Tom
(18:14):
Tillis.
That, among other things,focused on a 2012 law that would
have given one group ofbondsmen a monopoly to teach a
state-required continuingeducation course.
A judge eventually issued apreliminary injunction against
enforcing that law and thelegislature reversed it.
It states that Brawley waseither voted out of the House
Republican caucus or voluntarilyleft it in 2014.
(18:37):
In 2015, he announced hisgubernatorial run against
Republican governor Pat McCrory.
Mccrory beat him with more than80% of the primary vote.
It says that Brawley also ranan unsuccessful race in 2004 to
the head of state's Departmentof Insurance, which regulates
the bail bond industry.
Brawley has been in businessfor some time with some of the
(18:57):
players who figured into thefight over the bail bondsman
continuing education courses.
Two companies, premieredjudicial consultants and canon
surety sued him over a litany ofaccusations, including fraud,
libel misrepresentation andcorporate maleficence.
According to Mark Bibbs, anattorney for the group, superior
court judge John O Craig IIIpresided over Brawley's hearing
(19:19):
that Friday and sentenced theformer lawmaker immediately to
an active sentence of 15 days inthe Guilford County Jail.
Looking up see Robert Brawley onballot pedia.
It lists his campaign.
It does not list his campaignfinance information.
I tried looking that up on thestate's website and I didn't see
anything past mid-year of lastyear for his campaign finance
(19:44):
reporting.
Robert Brawley did fill out theballot pedia's candidate
connection survey in 2023 andanswered three questions.
If you're interested, you canlearn more on that.
It does have some informationregarding his other runs for
office, including his campaigncontribution history leading up
(20:04):
to from 1996 to 2012.
See, robert Brawley did respondto our 2024 Voters' Guide for
the primary election, so you cancheck out our Voters' Guide to
see his responses there.
Moving on to Mike Causey, he isthe current North Carolina
(20:24):
Insurance Commissioner.
His website is mikecauseync.
com.
It says Causey InsuranceCommissioner.
Mike Causey, fighting for NorthCarolina consumers.
There's an option where you canstay updated.
His website reads about MikeCausey.
Mike Causey is not just anothercandidate.
He's lived the life andunderstands what is involved
(20:45):
with the insurance industry.
Mike Causey has 25 years ofexperience working in insurance.
He is also a military veteranand understands the laws.
Mike Causey is truly a man ofthe people.
He's not about fame or status.
He's just a man who cares aboutNorth Carolina and wants to
make a difference in hiscommunity.
More competition Mike Causeybelieves that more competition
(21:08):
in North Carolina's insuranceindustry will provide lower
rates for consumers and greateraccess to better products.
Improved efficiency Mike Causeyis making a difference in
implementing needed reforms bycutting red tape, increasing
transparency and reversing yearsof consumer frustration over
insurance claims.
Great accessibility Mike Causeyis putting taxpayers first by
(21:31):
making the commissioner's officemore accessible, improving
customer service and increasingaccess to quote real people
unquote who resolve problems.
Bureaucratic reform NorthCarolina is the only remaining
state with a rate bureau.
Mike Causey is helping reformantiquated bureaucracy that
kills free enterprise andrewards bad drivers at the
(21:53):
expense of good drivers, puttingpeople first.
As a candidate for commissionerof insurance, Mike Causey
promised to put you and yourconcerns first, and he has done
just that.
Since taking office, mike hasfought for North Carolina policy
holders and consumers byopposing rate hikes on
homeowners insurance and carinsurance.
He has cracked down oninsurance fraud, saving policy
(22:16):
holders and arresting more than1000 people who were gaming the
system, which cost all of us.
Most importantly, commissionerCausey has opposed efforts to
impose more government mandatesand control over your health
care insurance.
Mike has supported efforts topass Association health plans,
which makes health care coveragemore affordable and provides
(22:37):
real competition in themarketplace.
Citizen friendly service.
Prior to Commissioner Causeytaking office, consumers would
call the commissioner ofinsurance's office and feel like
they did not have a voice orany power over the insurance
companies.
Commissioner Causey's missionhas been to make sure policy
holders and consumers in NorthCarolina receive citizen
(22:58):
friendly service.
You need to know yourcommissioner of insurance is an
advocate for you.
It's about cutting thebureaucracy and the red tape.
It's about standing up for theworking men and women, making
sure they have an ally who willgo to the map for them, who will
take on the insurance industryand hold them accountable.
Fraud and abuse.
Upon being sworn into office,commissioner Causey was
(23:20):
astounded to learn thedepartment only had 20 sworn law
enforcement to investigatethousands of insurance fraud
cases.
The investigators were sooverwhelmed that they weren't
able to be effective.
As commissioner, mike hasworked with the state
legislature to double the numberof fraud and abuse
investigators in the Departmentof Insurance.
Criminals are now beinginvestigated and prosecuted for
(23:42):
gaming the system.
Mike knows criminals must beheld accountable, so there is a
fair playing field for thehardworking men and women of
North Carolina working with ourfire departments.
North Carolina's fire and rescuedepartments stand on the front
line for public safety in ourstate.
Prior to taking office,commissioner Causey was blown
away by the number of local firedepartments that had not seen
(24:04):
in an official inspector, insome cases as long as 25 years.
Hundreds of departments werebeing ignored.
Commissioner Causey went to thestate legislature and requested
additional fire departmentinspectors then went to work.
Over the past three years, abacklog of more than 500
department inspections has beencleared, making sure they have
up-to-date inspections andcertifications.
(24:25):
The safety ratings of firedepartments directly impact the
amount you pay on yourhomeowner's insurance.
The Department of Insurance isfocused on improving safety
ratings of fire departments thatderail savings in many
communities across NorthCarolina.
He has some rotating picturesalong with a few videos.
One's entitled A Champion forConsumers, one's entitled
(24:49):
Cracking Down on Fraud.
There's a button where you candonate for his campaign if you
feel so moved, and that is theentirety of his website.
He does have a link for bothFacebook and Twitter, which is
now X.
Mike Causey did fill out ourquestionnaire for the NC Deep
Dives Voters Guide for the 2024primary election, so you can
(25:12):
check out his responses Doing aquick Google search of Mike
Causey for Commissioner.
There were two things that kindof maybe of import to some
individuals, one of which wasjust posted yesterday, february
20th.
One was Mike Causey'smisclassified driver billed
North Carolina nearly $14,000for trips.
(25:35):
Records say so.
There were a few articles, butone of which was talking about
his driver, roger Blackwell,costing taxpayers nearly $14,000
in hotel meals and other bills,including a nearly $1400
vehicle rental for a three-dayconference in New Jersey.
I get the impression throughthis article that Mike Causey
(25:57):
chooses not to fly for whateverreason, and that he's driven to
all the events, even those thatare held in other states in our
country.
The Commissioner and NorthCarolina Department of Insurance
officials did not respond to anemail or phone request for
comment about Blackwell's travelcost.
According to this article, histravel records show that the
(26:19):
Commissioner has not flown towork-related events out of state
.
In an NNO article, it saidCawsey said it's cheaper to
drive, but he did not providerecords and other information to
back that claim.
It looks like there were 15out-of-state trips and eight
in-state trips involving hotelstays from 2019 to last year,
(26:39):
and the article says that therecords may be incomplete, since
Cawsey's travel records showBlackwell accompanied him on two
out-of-state trips in 2018.
The National Association ofInsurance Commissioners did
reimburse Blackwell for roughly$6,500 in hotel stays, meals and
a car rental expense for six ofthose out-of-state trips and
(27:00):
partially reimbursed him for aseventh.
The travel records show theNational Association of
Insurance Commissioners chargeseach state annual dues, with
North Carolina paying nearly$58,000 in 2023, according to
the Association's annual budget.
This article states that mostCouncil of State officials do
not have regular drivers, withthe exception of the Governor
(27:22):
and Lieutenant Governor.
According to the NNO, theAttorney General and State
Superintendent of Schools havepart-time drivers used on a
limited basis, according totheir offices.
The article states that Causeyhired a second part-time driver
named Steve Myers, who was aretired state trooper last year
and department officials haveyet to agree to disclose his pay
(27:44):
or higher date, but said lastweek he has not traveled with
Causey for any out-of-statebusiness.
The other article that I sawthat I know has been on a lot of
people's minds recently is thatthe NC Insurance Commissioner
rejects the 42% rate hike onhomeowners insurance.
This was posted on February 6thof this year.
(28:06):
This article says that.
Causey said in a statement Ihaven't seen the evidence to
justify such a drastic rateincrease on North Carolina
consumers.
The North Carolina Rate Bureau,which represents insurance
companies, asked for an increaseranging from 4% in the
mountains to 99% in some coastalcounties.
The Department of Insurancereceived more than 24,000
(28:28):
comments on the proposal.
According to Causey, northCarolina consumers deserve a
more thorough review of thisproposal.
I intend to make sure they getthat review, causey said.
Finance companies say inflationand damage resulting from
climate change are boosting thecost of repairs.
Causey has set a formalevidentiary hearing on the rate
request for October 7th, but thetwo sides could come to an
(28:52):
agreement before then.
The article states.
Moving on to ballotpedia, formerMike Causey.
His campaign financeinformation is included for the
2024 election, from January 1st2023 through December 31st of
2024.
So far, he's received a totalof $115,596 in contributions.
(29:13):
He's had 219 uniquecontributors.
Taking a look at the topcontributors, it was interesting
to see that the North CarolinaFarm Bureau PAC Incorporated has
contributed $6,400, and theAll-State Insurance Company PAC
has contributed $3,000, and theIndependent Insurance Agents of
(29:35):
North Carolina PAC hascontributed $2,701.
He has had a total of $42,143in expenditures.
The number of unique pays is 55.
Mike Causey did not completeballotpedia's 2024 candidate
connection survey, but he dididentify some issues as his top
(29:58):
priorities for his 2016 election.
So if you are interested inreading that, you can check out
ballotpedia and search for MikeCausey, and that is all I could
find online for these threecandidates.
Again, this race is for theNorth Carolina Commissioner of
Insurance.
There are three candidatesrunning for this office on the
(30:19):
Republican ballot.
You are eligible to vote forone of them.
The three candidates again areAndrew Marcus C, robert Brawley
and Mike Causey.
Democracy is the foundation ofall we hold dear.
We are better as a community,state and nation when we all
take part in our civic duty bybeing informed and casting our
(30:41):
vote.
The candidates in offices onyour ballot can have a major
impact on our everyday lives andcan have real consequences.
They create and enforce ourlaws, invest in our future
well-being, fund all the thingslike our schools and roads,
ensure we have safe drinkingwater and food to put on our
tables and advocate on behalf ofthose they represent, hopefully
(31:04):
keeping in mind both the littleand the big picture of it all.
Early voting is now going on andwill continue through Saturday
March 2nd.
Our closest early votinglocations will be the WE Hunt
Center in Holly Springs and thehilltop Needmore Town Park and
Preserve in Fuquay Varina.
The main primary election willbe held on Tuesday March 5th.
(31:26):
If you vote that day, it's bestfor you to go to your
designated polling place or elsesome of the races you are
eligible to vote for may notshow up on the ballot they have
available to give you Duringearly voting.
Each area in Wake County hasall the possible ballots for
Wake County Election day.
They will only have the ballotthat corresponds directly to
(31:46):
that particular precinct.
Please remember you now need tobring your photo ID.
If you happen to forget or havehad some extraordinary
circumstance happen, you willhave a few different options
provided to you, but it will bebest and easiest and most
efficient to bring it with you.
If, for some reason, youhaven't registered to vote yet,
you may register and vote at thesame time during early voting
(32:09):
at any one of the sites.
March 2nd will be the last dayto register to vote for this
primary election, and thatbrings this episode of the NC
Deep Dive to a close.
Make sure you check out all theother relevant episodes for the
2024 primary election at www.
ncdeepdive.
com, apple Podcasts, spotify,audible or wherever you
(32:33):
currently listen to yourpodcasts.
I will be including helpfullinks for each candidate and
voting in general on ourwebsite's show notes, including
our NC Deep Dives Voters Guidefor the 2024 primary election.
We were blessed to have manycandidates take the time to
share their thoughts and speakto voters within Southern Wake
County.
The Voters Guide is arranged byparty affiliation and organized
(32:55):
in such a way to make itrelatively easy to find the
races or candidates you might beinterested in.
All candidates' websites arelinked.
If I was able to find one.
I also consciously chose toarrange the Voters Guide
starting at the end of theballot.
So often we are aware of thelarger races yet don't hear much
about, or take the time tolearn about, the smaller races.
As always, if you have anyquestions, concerns or topics
(33:18):
you'd like to share, you maycontact us via social media or
our email at ncdeepdivecom.
Thank you for engaging with thisepisode and becoming a more
informed citizen.
Democracy is a team sport.
Together we make democracy workand our communities a better
place to work, play and live.
Your vote matters, your voicematters.
(33:39):
You matter.
Until next time, my friendsNamaste.
The love and light in me seesand honors the love and light in
you.
Hello friends, thanks for joining me
and the NC Deep Dive.
I am your host, AmandaBenbow-Lunn, and we are delving
into the 2024 primary election.
Each episode will cover adifferent race that will be on
your primary ballot thiselection.
When you go to vote, you willbe handed a ballot based on your
address and party affiliation.
(00:31):
If you are unaffiliatedsometimes also referred here as
independent then you will haveyour choice of which party's
ballot you would like to vote.
Please note that you are onlyable to cast one ballot and that
there are no primary ballotsfor the Green Party or the no
Labels Party.
Moreover, candidates for thegeneral election in November who
(00:52):
do not have a primarychallenger will not appear on
your primary ballot.
They get a pass directly to thegeneral election.
Due to time constraints and theplethora of candidates, and my
belief that having as muchinformation as possible is of
vast importance, our primaryelection segment will consist of
me covering one race at a time,as time allows, and going over
(01:16):
each candidate's website andwhat I can find on a simple
Google search, in case it iseasier for you to take in
information this way.
If you are short on time, youcan check out our NC Deep Dives
Voters Guide for the 2024primary election, found pinned
to our Facebook page or on thisepisode's show notes at www.
ncdeepdive.
com.
(01:38):
It will be an easy way toaccess each candidate's website
and research the candidates onyour own.
If that's a better use of yourtime, without further ado, my
friends, let's dive in.
This episode will cover theNorth Carolina Commissioner of
Insurance on the Republicanballot.
You will have three options tochoose from.
(02:00):
You may vote for one.
The three candidates are AndrewMarcus, C.
Robert Brawley and Mike Causey.
We're going to begin withAndrew Marcus' website, which is
marcusfornc.
com.
That's marcusfornccom.
It says Andrew Marcus,insurance Commissioner.
A conservative fighter for thetaxpayer.
(02:21):
Vote Republican.
Andrew Marcus for InsuranceCommissioner.
Meet Andrew.
Andrew Marcus is a volunteerfirefighter, prosecutor and
committed conservative.
He's never run for politicaloffice before, but he feels
strongly called to fight for thepeople hurt by higher insurance
rates and neglected by divisive, unproductive politics.
In the Insurance Commissioner'soffice, he started his career as
(02:43):
a prosecutor, where he workedhand in hand with law
enforcement to achieve justice.
He has worked as an insuranceregulator and personally led
investigations of insurancecompany misconduct which
resulted in fines of hundreds ofthousands of dollars on the
companies who took advantage oftheir customers.
Now Andrew serves as avolunteer firefighter and a
lawyer in private practice.
(03:03):
He is uniquely qualified tobring an outsider's perspective
to the role of insurancecommissioner.
He has represented all sides inthe insurance industry
policyholders, small businesses,doctors, agents, hospitals and
insurers.
Andrew comes from 11 generationsof North Carolinians, with one
ancestor signing the MecklenburgDeclaration.
(03:25):
He and his wife, sophie, havetwo sons and love to spend their
free time doing anythingoutdoors.
There's a quote from him sayingfrom day one my top priority
will be to protect consumers andkeep costs low.
No more political games,andrew's priorities.
North Carolina's insurancecommissioner should work for you
, not the insurance companies orfor political cronies.
(03:47):
But that's not the case today,and that's why your rates are
increasing year after year.
It's time to hire a conservativefighter for the taxpayer.
Here's my pledge to you Helpyou keep more of your money.
Too many people are strugglingto keep their heads above water
thanks to harmful effects of JoeBiden's disastrous economic
agenda.
Increased prices are everywhere, including insurance rates.
(04:10):
But Joe Biden isn't the onlyone to blame.
North Carolina's home and autoinsurance rates have increased
more than inflation.
Thanks to a commissioner who ismore concerned about himself
than you.
He's allowed rates to increasewith no transparency.
I'll fight for better rates,especially for those hardest hit
.
Crack down on fraud andfraudsters.
Insurance fraud drives up thecosts on everyone else and
(04:33):
scammers are increasingly moresophisticated in their attempts
to defraud everyone.
To save you money, I'll standup for ratepayers and root out
the fraud and abuse.
As a former prosecutor, I won'tback down to anyone.
After natural disasters, conartists take advantage of
vulnerable, hurting people, butnot just then.
Every hour of the day you'reunder attack by scammers.
(04:55):
No one will be a betteradvocate to keep North
Carolinians protected fromscammers and con artists.
Defend an independent state firemarshal.
As a volunteer firefightermyself, I know that politicians
don't understand the challengesfacing those who put their lives
on the line every day.
I believe the state firemarshal should be a career
firefighter who is familiar withthe needs of firefighters, and
(05:18):
the insurance commissionershould work with the state fire
marshal to advocate effectivelytogether.
Specifically, that meansfunding workers' compensation
for volunteer departments andadvocating for a sound
preemptive medical expensecancer fund.
All firefighters in the stateshould receive NFPA 1582
physicals and true pre-cancerscreenings.
(05:39):
And I'll fight for non-profitfire departments to be combined
back into local governmentretirement in order to boost
better employee pools andlongevity for those protecting
rural areas.
Investigate the ChineseCommunist Party's influence.
No insurance regulator hastaken steps to investigate
China's influence on theAmerican insurance industry.
(05:59):
The insurance industry isespecially vulnerable to CCP
Chinese Communist Partyinfluence.
Insurers hold vast amounts ofdata on businesses and
individuals, including theirmost sensitive medical data.
Publicly traded insurance havesome insight, but little
investigation has been done intothe influence of the CCP on
(06:20):
mutual and closely held insurers.
I will investigate companiesthat do business in North
Carolina and find out if the CCPhas any influence over them.
Release your choices.
A free market benefitsconsumers, forcing businesses to
compete for your money andtrust.
I'll fight to expand NorthCarolina's market, increase
price transparency and simplifythe red tape, and to make sure
(06:41):
your trust isn't abused.
I'll put my experience as aregulator and prosecutor to work
for you, making sure every ratepayer is protected from
fly-by-night operations thatwon't exist.
At the moment of crisisCrackdown on ESG, big Wall
Street companies have pushedinsurers to adopt ESG standards
that only serve to pushpolitical agendas and increase
(07:03):
rates on North Carolinians.
I pledge to take action tocrackdown on these companies
where they impact in-state rates.
There's a button where you candonate to his campaign if you
feel so moved, but otherwise,that is the end of his website.
I did a quick Google search onAndrew Marcus and nothing of
(07:23):
note really came up on the firstpage.
Looking at his information onballotpedia, he does have
campaign finance information forthe 2024 election, which
includes January 1st 2023through December 31st of 2024.
He has $4,784 in totalcontributions with nine unique
(07:46):
contributors, one of which ishimself.
His expenditures have totaled$126 and he has a total of six
unique payees.
He did loan his campaign$25,000.
Andrew Marcus did fill outballotpedia's candidate
connection survey so, if you'reinterested, there are about
eight questions there with hisresponses.
(08:09):
And moving on now C.
to Robert Brawley, his websiteis RobertBrawley.
net.
It says Robert Brawley forNorth Carolina Commissioner of
Insurance.
A lifetime of service to NorthCarolina, committed to improving
North Carolina's future.
Robert Brawley's extensiveknowledge of insurance policies
(08:30):
and regulations, coupled withhis commitment to consumer
protection, make him an idealchoice for the position of
Commissioner of Insurance.
Why, Robert?
This was written in September15th of 2023.
Welcome to the campaign forRobert Brawley for North
Carolina Insurance Commissioner.
Why the Insurance Commissionermatters?
Do you realize that the NorthCarolina Insurance Commissioner
(08:50):
is one of the most crucialelected positions in our state.
This office oversees andregulates insurance companies,
mutual benefit associations,hmos and, more Essentially, it
impacts every business callingNorth Carolina home.
Did you know?
The Insurance Commissioner hasthe authority to enforce the law
, including the suspension orrevocation of licenses for
(09:12):
insurance agents and companiesoperating in North Carolina.
This power helps maintainconsumer safety and business
ethics.
The Insurance Commissioner'smission is to ensure fair
pricing, protect insurancecompanies' solvency, prevent
unfair practices and guaranteeinsurance coverage availability.
It's a position that plays acritical role in our state
(09:32):
government.
Meet C Robert Brawley.
C Robert Brawley, a true NorthCarolinian, has a remarkable
background in both athletics andpublic service.
As a former ACC WrestlingChampion and Lieutenant Colonel
in the NC Army National Guard,he brings dedication and
discipline to everything he does.
With a degree in engineeringoperations from NC State
(09:54):
University and a successfulcareer that includes insurance
agencies, constructionbusinesses and more, robert is
ready to bring his experience tothe role of Insurance
Commissioner.
He served as a legislator inthe North Carolina General
Assembly for 20 years andreceived the National Legislator
of the Year Award in 1995.
His commitment to publicservice extends to his role as a
(10:16):
Sunday school teacher and achurch lay speaker for over 30
years.
Campaign Priorities.
Robert Brawley's campaign forNorth Carolina Insurance
Commissioner focuses on severalkey issues Regulating insurance
businesses to protect consumersand promote good business
practices.
Ensuring strict enforcement ofinsurance laws.
Promoting fairness for bothconsumers and carriers.
(10:38):
Maintaining fair competition inthe insurance industry.
Enhancing building code safety.
Developing a more competitiverating system.
Responsible in fair reportingon all accounts.
Promptly addressing consumercomplaints.
Upholding the commissioner'sduty to maintain fair pricing,
protect solvency and ensureinsurance coverage availability.
(10:59):
Introducing insurance classesin high schools.
Robert believes that theinsurance commissioner's role is
a substantial responsibility.
With your support and hisexperience, he is ready to
assemble the right team to serveNorth Carolina effectively.
Get involved.
If you're ready to worktogether for the people of North
Carolina, reach out to RobertBrawley.
(11:20):
Your support is vital tosecuring a brighter and safer
future for our state.
Together, we can make adifference.
He has an advertisement for anupcoming Trey Taylor Country
concert that he is sponsoring.
The event will be held March1st 2024 at 6.30 pm in the
Moorsville High School PACAuditorium.
(11:40):
And that's in Moorsville, northCarolina.
Why, robert?
Vote Robert Brawley for NorthCarolina Commissioner of
Insurance?
To strengthen our state'sfuture.
Experienced a steadfastcommitment to safeguarding
consumers and promotingtransparency within the
insurance industry.
Experienced why the insurancecommissioner matters.
Do you realize that the NorthCarolina Insurance Commissioner
(12:03):
is one of the most crucialelected positions in our state?
This office oversees andregulates insurance companies,
mutual benefit associations,hmos and, more Essentially, it
impacts every business callingNorth Carolina home.
The Insurance Commissioner isnot just about insurance.
They also serve as a state firemarshal, ensuring safety
standards, grants for firedepartments and more.
(12:23):
It's a vital role that oftengoes unnoticed.
Did you know that the InsuranceCommissioner has the authority
to enforce the law, includingthe suspension or revocation of
licenses for insurance agentsand companies operating in North
Carolina?
This power helps maintainconsumer safety and business
ethics.
The Insurance Commissioner'smission is to ensure fair
(12:44):
pricing, protect insurancecompany's solvency, prevent
unfair practices and guaranteeinsurance coverage availability.
It's a position that meets acritical role in our state
government.
Meet C Robert Brawley.
C Robert Brawley is a true NorthCarolinian and has a remarkable
background in both athleticsand public service.
As a former ACC wrestlingchampion and Lieutenant Colonel
(13:05):
in the NC Army National Guard,he brings dedication and
discipline to everything he does.
With a degree in engineeringoperations from NC State
University and a successfulcareer that includes insurance
agencies, constructionbusinesses and more, robert is
ready to bring his experience tothe role of insurance
commissioner.
He served as a legislator inthe North Carolina General
(13:26):
Assembly for 18 years andreceived the National Legislator
of the Year award in 1995.
Always campaigning on Togetherwe Can, his commitment to public
service extends to his role asSunday school teacher and church
lay speaker for over 30 yearsCommunity driven, prioritizing
policies that not only protect.
Community driven, prioritizingpolicies that not only protected
(13:49):
consumers but also empoweredcommunities to thrive and make
informed insurance choices.
When you click the button, ittakes you to meet Robert.
Welcome to the official page ofthe Robert Brawley for North
Carolina Commissioner ofInsurance campaign.
We are committed to serving thegreat state of North Carolina
by advocating for fair,transparent and consumer
friendly insurance practices.
Our vision Our vision is simpleyet profound to ensure that
(14:13):
every North Carolinian hasaccess to affordable, high
quality insurance coverage.
We believe that insuranceshould provide peace of mind and
financial security toindividuals, families and
businesses across our state.
Meet Robert Broly.
Robert Broly is a candidate forNorth Carolina Commissioner of
Insurance who brings a wealth ofexperience to the table, with a
background in insurance and along history of public service.
(14:36):
The North Carolinian isdedicated to protecting the
rights and interests of NorthCarolina's residents.
His track record of integrity,accountability and effective
leadership makes him the idealcandidate for this role.
Our commitment as a campaign theRB campaign are committed to
transparency and accountability.
We pledge to advocate forconsumers we will tirelessly
(14:57):
work to ensure that insurancepolicies are fair, accessible
and responsive to the needs ofthe people in North Carolina.
Promote industry integrityRobert believes in a thriving
insurance industry that operatesethically and responsibly,
benefiting both businesses andconsumers.
Support innovation Robert willactively explore and support
innovative solutions to addressemerging insurance challenges
(15:21):
and an ever-changing world.
Engage the community we valueyour input and engagement.
Together we can shape thefuture of insurance in North
Carolina.
Get involved we invite you tojoin our campaign and help us
make a difference.
Whether you're interested involunteering, contributing or
simply staying informed aboutour progress, there's a place
for you in our community.
Thank you for your support andfor sharing in our commitment to
(15:42):
a better insurance future forNorth Carolina.
Together, we can achieve abrighter, more secure tomorrow.
The third reason for why RobertA love for NC, a tireless effort
to improve the lives of itsresidents during his time.
When you click on the LearnMore button, it takes you back
to the Meet Robert page, which Ijust went over.
We can make a difference inNorth Carolina.
(16:04):
Why vote for Robert?
Robert Brawley's longstandingdedication to public service and
his experience in the insurancesector make him a strong
candidate for the role ofCommissioner of Insurance.
His track record of advocatingfor policies that benefit both
consumers and the insuranceindustry demonstrates his
ability to find balancedsolutions.
With Robert Brawley in office,north Carolina can expect a
(16:26):
Commissioner who will worktirelessly to ensure fair and
effective insurance practicesfor all residents.
Clicking the Learn More buttontakes you back to the Meet
Robert page, which I havealready read.
Latest articles Explore theRobert Brawley for Insurance
blog for insightful updates oninsurance policies and the
(16:46):
campaign's vision for NorthCarolina.
There is a Donate Now sectionthat says insurance rates in
North Carolina are out ofcontrol.
The time for new leadership isnow for North Carolina.
There are buttons to donate andvolunteer.
That brings us to the end ofRobert's website.
Looking him up on Google, I didfind a couple of articles from
(17:10):
back in October of 2017.
This one is from WRAL, butthere were a couple that I saw.
It says former state lawmakersent to jail in Bailbond's
company fight Former staterepresentative Robert Brawley,
who ran a long shot campaign forgovernor last year, was
sentenced Friday to 15 days injail on a contempt of court
charge tied to a civil casebrought against him by his
(17:32):
business partners.
The underlying civil lawsuitfigures into a long-standing
battle between competingelements of the state's bail
bonding industry, which Brawleyhas been financially involved in
.
It says, among other thingsBrawley, an Irredell County
Republican who spent some 20years in the state house, was
accused by his partners offorging documents and sharing
(17:52):
company financial informationwith a competitor.
Brawley's attorney in the case,stephen McCloskey, confirmed
the contempt of court decisionFriday but said he was limited
to saying more by gag orders inthe case.
The article goes on to sayBrawley served two stints in the
General Assembly and he buckedparty leadership during both of
them.
He had a public falling out in2013 with then-house speaker Tom
(18:14):
Tillis.
That, among other things,focused on a 2012 law that would
have given one group ofbondsmen a monopoly to teach a
state-required continuingeducation course.
A judge eventually issued apreliminary injunction against
enforcing that law and thelegislature reversed it.
It states that Brawley waseither voted out of the House
Republican caucus or voluntarilyleft it in 2014.
(18:37):
In 2015, he announced hisgubernatorial run against
Republican governor Pat McCrory.
Mccrory beat him with more than80% of the primary vote.
It says that Brawley also ranan unsuccessful race in 2004 to
the head of state's Departmentof Insurance, which regulates
the bail bond industry.
Brawley has been in businessfor some time with some of the
(18:57):
players who figured into thefight over the bail bondsman
continuing education courses.
Two companies, premieredjudicial consultants and canon
surety sued him over a litany ofaccusations, including fraud,
libel misrepresentation andcorporate maleficence.
According to Mark Bibbs, anattorney for the group, superior
court judge John O Craig IIIpresided over Brawley's hearing
(19:19):
that Friday and sentenced theformer lawmaker immediately to
an active sentence of 15 days inthe Guilford County Jail.
Looking up see Robert Brawley onballot pedia.
It lists his campaign.
It does not list his campaignfinance information.
I tried looking that up on thestate's website and I didn't see
anything past mid-year of lastyear for his campaign finance
(19:44):
reporting.
Robert Brawley did fill out theballot pedia's candidate
connection survey in 2023 andanswered three questions.
If you're interested, you canlearn more on that.
It does have some informationregarding his other runs for
office, including his campaigncontribution history leading up
(20:04):
to from 1996 to 2012.
See, robert Brawley did respondto our 2024 Voters' Guide for
the primary election, so you cancheck out our Voters' Guide to
see his responses there.
Moving on to Mike Causey, he isthe current North Carolina
(20:24):
Insurance Commissioner.
His website is mikecauseync.
com.
It says Causey InsuranceCommissioner.
Mike Causey, fighting for NorthCarolina consumers.
There's an option where you canstay updated.
His website reads about MikeCausey.
Mike Causey is not just anothercandidate.
He's lived the life andunderstands what is involved
(20:45):
with the insurance industry.
Mike Causey has 25 years ofexperience working in insurance.
He is also a military veteranand understands the laws.
Mike Causey is truly a man ofthe people.
He's not about fame or status.
He's just a man who cares aboutNorth Carolina and wants to
make a difference in hiscommunity.
More competition Mike Causeybelieves that more competition
(21:08):
in North Carolina's insuranceindustry will provide lower
rates for consumers and greateraccess to better products.
Improved efficiency Mike Causeyis making a difference in
implementing needed reforms bycutting red tape, increasing
transparency and reversing yearsof consumer frustration over
insurance claims.
Great accessibility Mike Causeyis putting taxpayers first by
(21:31):
making the commissioner's officemore accessible, improving
customer service and increasingaccess to quote real people
unquote who resolve problems.
Bureaucratic reform NorthCarolina is the only remaining
state with a rate bureau.
Mike Causey is helping reformantiquated bureaucracy that
kills free enterprise andrewards bad drivers at the
(21:53):
expense of good drivers, puttingpeople first.
As a candidate for commissionerof insurance, Mike Causey
promised to put you and yourconcerns first, and he has done
just that.
Since taking office, mike hasfought for North Carolina policy
holders and consumers byopposing rate hikes on
homeowners insurance and carinsurance.
He has cracked down oninsurance fraud, saving policy
(22:16):
holders and arresting more than1000 people who were gaming the
system, which cost all of us.
Most importantly, commissionerCausey has opposed efforts to
impose more government mandatesand control over your health
care insurance.
Mike has supported efforts topass Association health plans,
which makes health care coveragemore affordable and provides
(22:37):
real competition in themarketplace.
Citizen friendly service.
Prior to Commissioner Causeytaking office, consumers would
call the commissioner ofinsurance's office and feel like
they did not have a voice orany power over the insurance
companies.
Commissioner Causey's missionhas been to make sure policy
holders and consumers in NorthCarolina receive citizen
(22:58):
friendly service.
You need to know yourcommissioner of insurance is an
advocate for you.
It's about cutting thebureaucracy and the red tape.
It's about standing up for theworking men and women, making
sure they have an ally who willgo to the map for them, who will
take on the insurance industryand hold them accountable.
Fraud and abuse.
Upon being sworn into office,commissioner Causey was
(23:20):
astounded to learn thedepartment only had 20 sworn law
enforcement to investigatethousands of insurance fraud
cases.
The investigators were sooverwhelmed that they weren't
able to be effective.
As commissioner, mike hasworked with the state
legislature to double the numberof fraud and abuse
investigators in the Departmentof Insurance.
Criminals are now beinginvestigated and prosecuted for
(23:42):
gaming the system.
Mike knows criminals must beheld accountable, so there is a
fair playing field for thehardworking men and women of
North Carolina working with ourfire departments.
North Carolina's fire and rescuedepartments stand on the front
line for public safety in ourstate.
Prior to taking office,commissioner Causey was blown
away by the number of local firedepartments that had not seen
(24:04):
in an official inspector, insome cases as long as 25 years.
Hundreds of departments werebeing ignored.
Commissioner Causey went to thestate legislature and requested
additional fire departmentinspectors then went to work.
Over the past three years, abacklog of more than 500
department inspections has beencleared, making sure they have
up-to-date inspections andcertifications.
(24:25):
The safety ratings of firedepartments directly impact the
amount you pay on yourhomeowner's insurance.
The Department of Insurance isfocused on improving safety
ratings of fire departments thatderail savings in many
communities across NorthCarolina.
He has some rotating picturesalong with a few videos.
One's entitled A Champion forConsumers, one's entitled
(24:49):
Cracking Down on Fraud.
There's a button where you candonate for his campaign if you
feel so moved, and that is theentirety of his website.
He does have a link for bothFacebook and Twitter, which is
now X.
Mike Causey did fill out ourquestionnaire for the NC Deep
Dives Voters Guide for the 2024primary election, so you can
(25:12):
check out his responses Doing aquick Google search of Mike
Causey for Commissioner.
There were two things that kindof maybe of import to some
individuals, one of which wasjust posted yesterday, february
20th.
One was Mike Causey'smisclassified driver billed
North Carolina nearly $14,000for trips.
(25:35):
Records say so.
There were a few articles, butone of which was talking about
his driver, roger Blackwell,costing taxpayers nearly $14,000
in hotel meals and other bills,including a nearly $1400
vehicle rental for a three-dayconference in New Jersey.
I get the impression throughthis article that Mike Causey
(25:57):
chooses not to fly for whateverreason, and that he's driven to
all the events, even those thatare held in other states in our
country.
The Commissioner and NorthCarolina Department of Insurance
officials did not respond to anemail or phone request for
comment about Blackwell's travelcost.
According to this article, histravel records show that the
(26:19):
Commissioner has not flown towork-related events out of state
.
In an NNO article, it saidCawsey said it's cheaper to
drive, but he did not providerecords and other information to
back that claim.
It looks like there were 15out-of-state trips and eight
in-state trips involving hotelstays from 2019 to last year,
(26:39):
and the article says that therecords may be incomplete, since
Cawsey's travel records showBlackwell accompanied him on two
out-of-state trips in 2018.
The National Association ofInsurance Commissioners did
reimburse Blackwell for roughly$6,500 in hotel stays, meals and
a car rental expense for six ofthose out-of-state trips and
(27:00):
partially reimbursed him for aseventh.
The travel records show theNational Association of
Insurance Commissioners chargeseach state annual dues, with
North Carolina paying nearly$58,000 in 2023, according to
the Association's annual budget.
This article states that mostCouncil of State officials do
not have regular drivers, withthe exception of the Governor
(27:22):
and Lieutenant Governor.
According to the NNO, theAttorney General and State
Superintendent of Schools havepart-time drivers used on a
limited basis, according totheir offices.
The article states that Causeyhired a second part-time driver
named Steve Myers, who was aretired state trooper last year
and department officials haveyet to agree to disclose his pay
(27:44):
or higher date, but said lastweek he has not traveled with
Causey for any out-of-statebusiness.
The other article that I sawthat I know has been on a lot of
people's minds recently is thatthe NC Insurance Commissioner
rejects the 42% rate hike onhomeowners insurance.
This was posted on February 6thof this year.
(28:06):
This article says that.
Causey said in a statement Ihaven't seen the evidence to
justify such a drastic rateincrease on North Carolina
consumers.
The North Carolina Rate Bureau,which represents insurance
companies, asked for an increaseranging from 4% in the
mountains to 99% in some coastalcounties.
The Department of Insurancereceived more than 24,000
(28:28):
comments on the proposal.
According to Causey, northCarolina consumers deserve a
more thorough review of thisproposal.
I intend to make sure they getthat review, causey said.
Finance companies say inflationand damage resulting from
climate change are boosting thecost of repairs.
Causey has set a formalevidentiary hearing on the rate
request for October 7th, but thetwo sides could come to an
(28:52):
agreement before then.
The article states.
Moving on to ballotpedia, formerMike Causey.
His campaign financeinformation is included for the
2024 election, from January 1st2023 through December 31st of
2024.
So far, he's received a totalof $115,596 in contributions.
(29:13):
He's had 219 uniquecontributors.
Taking a look at the topcontributors, it was interesting
to see that the North CarolinaFarm Bureau PAC Incorporated has
contributed $6,400, and theAll-State Insurance Company PAC
has contributed $3,000, and theIndependent Insurance Agents of
(29:35):
North Carolina PAC hascontributed $2,701.
He has had a total of $42,143in expenditures.
The number of unique pays is 55.
Mike Causey did not completeballotpedia's 2024 candidate
connection survey, but he dididentify some issues as his top
(29:58):
priorities for his 2016 election.
So if you are interested inreading that, you can check out
ballotpedia and search for MikeCausey, and that is all I could
find online for these threecandidates.
Again, this race is for theNorth Carolina Commissioner of
Insurance.
There are three candidatesrunning for this office on the
(30:19):
Republican ballot.
You are eligible to vote forone of them.
The three candidates again areAndrew Marcus C, robert Brawley
and Mike Causey.
Democracy is the foundation ofall we hold dear.
We are better as a community,state and nation when we all
take part in our civic duty bybeing informed and casting our
(30:41):
vote.
The candidates in offices onyour ballot can have a major
impact on our everyday lives andcan have real consequences.
They create and enforce ourlaws, invest in our future
well-being, fund all the thingslike our schools and roads,
ensure we have safe drinkingwater and food to put on our
tables and advocate on behalf ofthose they represent, hopefully
(31:04):
keeping in mind both the littleand the big picture of it all.
Early voting is now going on andwill continue through Saturday
March 2nd.
Our closest early votinglocations will be the WE Hunt
Center in Holly Springs and thehilltop Needmore Town Park and
Preserve in Fuquay Varina.
The main primary election willbe held on Tuesday March 5th.
(31:26):
If you vote that day, it's bestfor you to go to your
designated polling place or elsesome of the races you are
eligible to vote for may notshow up on the ballot they have
available to give you Duringearly voting.
Each area in Wake County hasall the possible ballots for
Wake County Election day.
They will only have the ballotthat corresponds directly to
(31:46):
that particular precinct.
Please remember you now need tobring your photo ID.
If you happen to forget or havehad some extraordinary
circumstance happen, you willhave a few different options
provided to you, but it will bebest and easiest and most
efficient to bring it with you.
If, for some reason, youhaven't registered to vote yet,
you may register and vote at thesame time during early voting
(32:09):
at any one of the sites.
March 2nd will be the last dayto register to vote for this
primary election, and thatbrings this episode of the NC
Deep Dive to a close.
Make sure you check out all theother relevant episodes for the
2024 primary election at www.
ncdeepdive.
com, apple Podcasts, spotify,audible or wherever you
(32:33):
currently listen to yourpodcasts.
I will be including helpfullinks for each candidate and
voting in general on ourwebsite's show notes, including
our NC Deep Dives Voters Guidefor the 2024 primary election.
We were blessed to have manycandidates take the time to
share their thoughts and speakto voters within Southern Wake
County.
The Voters Guide is arranged byparty affiliation and organized
(32:55):
in such a way to make itrelatively easy to find the
races or candidates you might beinterested in.
All candidates' websites arelinked.
If I was able to find one.
I also consciously chose toarrange the Voters Guide
starting at the end of theballot.
So often we are aware of thelarger races yet don't hear much
about, or take the time tolearn about, the smaller races.
As always, if you have anyquestions, concerns or topics
(33:18):
you'd like to share, you maycontact us via social media or
our email at ncdeepdivecom.
Thank you for engaging with thisepisode and becoming a more
informed citizen.
Democracy is a team sport.
Together we make democracy workand our communities a better
place to work, play and live.
Your vote matters, your voicematters.
(33:39):
You matter.
Until next time, my friendsNamaste.
The love and light in me seesand honors the love and light in
you.
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