WCDP Election Central – Candidate Information

Natasha Marcus

NC Commissioner of Insurance

Natasha Marcus - NC Commissioner of Insurance

Candidate Statement:

Natasha Marcus is a three-term North Carolina State Senator and the Democratic Nominee for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance.

During her tenure in the NC Senate, Natasha Marcus has stood for people over ideology, individual freedoms, and smart investments in the state’s future. She is running to be the next Commissioner of Insurance to serve the people of North Carolina who need and deserve affordable, quality insurance by restoring transparency, advocacy, and accountability to the office.

Natasha Marcus will be the people’s advocate, ensuring that we have a vibrant, competitive marketplace of insurance options with fair rates, honest coverage, and smart regulation.

In sharp contrast to her opponent, Natasha Marcus is free of any entanglements with the insurance companies she will be elected to regulate. She is ready to hold public hearings where she will require insurance companies to justify their rate increase requests with evidence presented under oath and subject to cross-examination. Natasha will fight for affordable, reliable insurance for North Carolinians’ homes, vehicles, businesses, and healthcare and will be an honest, frugal steward of the taxpayer money funding the Department of Insurance.

Importance of this Race:

The NC Department of Insurance oversees fire safety and building inspections, and is also a main source of information about insurance policies and claims, including worker’s compensation. The Insurance Commissioner’s work touches almost every North Carolinian — young and old, workers, motorists, patients, homeowners, firefighters, and business owners — and should be held by someone who is on the side of the people, not the insurance companies. Marcus understand this.

Office Responsibilities:

  • The North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance is the head of the NC Department of Insurance, serves as a member of the Council of State, and is also the State Fire Marshall.
  • Among its duties, the Department of Insurance regulates the insurance industry, handles insurance-related complaints, and licenses insurance agents.
  • The department houses the Office of the State Fire Marshall, which interprets building codes, trains firefighters, and awards grants to fire and rescue departments for equipment.

Issues:

Protecting People, Not Big Corporations:

Natasha Marcus cares about North Carolinians like you who need affordable, reliable insurance coverage for their homes, vehicles, businesses, and healthcare. She understands the impact of climate change on the frequency of weather-related losses and on insurance rates, and supports efforts to effectively mitigate those risks.

Accountability and Transparency:

Instead of a transparent process where insurance companies are required to provide proof under oath, subject to cross examination, to justify higher rates, current Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey skips the public hearings, ignores pleas from his constituents, and makes private settlements that allow rates to increase again and again. He says we should just trust that he’s getting us a fair deal. That is not acceptable. Transparency is key to accountability, and we need a new leader who will hold public hearings and force insurance companies to publicly justify their rates. That is Natasha Marcus.

Integrity:

North Carolina is one of only 11 states that elect Commissioner of Insurance. It’s a good thing: Marcus believes that North Carolinians deserve an advocate to look out for them and keep insurance companies in check. Current Commissioner Mike Causey makes backdoor deals and has close tie to the insurance industry, while also being involved in several scandals. The NC Insurance Commissioner is supposed to represent the people of NC, not the insurance companies, to ensure we have a vibrant marketplace of insurance options at reasonable prices. One of Marcus’ top priorities will be restoring integrity and public accountability to this vital office.

External Candidate Links:

Natasha Marcus' Website
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