NC Commissioner of Insurance
(Democratic Ballot Only)
NOTE: You may vote for one. Candidates are presented below in the order they appear on your ballot.
Reason for my Endorsement: Another primary election contest with a lot of drama behind it. While I admire Wheeler’s pitbull tenacity, I think Marcus has plenty of bite in her too and has an impressive record to boot.
Marcus is a graduate of the Duke University School of Law and made some news in 2018 by defeating a strong Republican in the NC Senate District 41 in north Mecklenburg Co. in that year’s “Blue Wave.” She went on to win two reelections in that district, served on the Senate Commerce & Insurance Committee, but late in 2023 the Republican gremlins in the General Assembly redrew her district to make it impossible for her to continue.
Marcus briefly considered moving her residence. Instead, and at the reported urging of Attorney General and candidate for Governor Josh Stein, she filed to run for Insurance Commissioner.
Marcus says on her website, “Commissioner of Insurance is a Council of State position that allows me… to ensure rates are fair, coverage is as-advertised, and valid claims are paid. The Insurance Commissioner has authority over all insurance companies doing business in our state, the Consumer Protection Fund, the Safe Kids Program, and the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program.… In other words, 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. “
Early in January 2024, when the NC Rate Bureau, which manages property and casualty rates for the insurance industry, announced that it would seek a huge increase in homeowners insurance rates,” Marcus reacted with a statement attacking the current Republican incumbent, Mike Causey for repeated large rate hikes, for failing to call for public hearings, and for not holdoing insurance companies accountable: “Insurance industry insider Mike Causey has allowed insurance rates to increase an unprecedented
number of times during his eight years in office and all indications are that he’ll do it again now…. These failures earned him the nickname “Rate Hike Mike” during his first term in office, when he forgot his campaign promises to fight rate hikes.”
Marcus is endorsed by the NC Sierra Club, the People’s Alliance PAC, the NC AFL-CIO, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the Simkins Memorial PAC, and a host of present and former NC Senators and Representatives.
David Wheeler
https://www.facebook.com/wheelerfornc
https://twitter.com/davidbwheeler
Wheeler seems to have an affinity for controversy. He’s also a Muckraker.
Wheeler grew up just outside Des Moines in the 1960s, the son of prominent Iowa Democrats who put him to work door knocking for votes. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1987 with a degree in political science, and then began working with utility companies to chase down insurance claims for huge corporate clients.
Wheeler announced many months before the actual filing period opened that he would be a candidate for NC Commissioner of Insurance. But in the second week of candidate filing in December, Wheeler himself revealed on Twitter that Josh Stein had recruited ex-Senator Natasha Marcus to run for this office, and because of that high-level establishment support for Marcus, Wheeler would be removing himself from the ballot. “With that news that he would drop out and clear the field for Marcus, many Democrats breathed a sigh, maybe of relief, to avoid a race that might get destructively mean.”
By December 13th, however, Wheeler had done a 180 and decided that he would stay in the race after all. In the explanation that reporter Bryan Anderson printed, Wheeler was not shy in playing rough with Marcus.
In a statement released by Wheeler, he indeed lived up to his reputation as a pusher-and-shover:“Marcus’s self entitlement to this nomination is astounding,” Wheeler said. “One day she’s running for the Senate, the next day it’s DOI [Department of Insurance]. She clearly saw how I am going to beat Mike Causey and thought she’d be the ‘savior’ of the race. Not happening. I’m going to beat her and Causey to a pulp at the polls.”
“I’m not a lawyer,” Wheeler said. “Does Raleigh really need another lawyer? I don’t have New York roots and New York money. I’m a single dad of three kids of color and grew up in a rural town with farmers and wrestlers. I’ve worked for myself since I was 22 years old and didn’t take a paycheck many times in order to ensure my employees were looked after when cash wasn’t flowing. I’m not rich. But I do know the difference between right and wrong. Rate Hike Mike is wrong for North Carolina [and] must go in 2024. My Democratic opponent from Charlotte can’t beat him.”
Some establishment Democrats have apoken out against Wheeler for his attacks on Marcus. In fact, there appears to be a concerted effort to sideline Wheeler, especially since Marcus was reportedly personally recruited by Josh Stein — and recruited after Wheeler had already announced he was running, which almost makes me want to support him. I guess I’d be pretty pissed off too. But there is something “loose cannon” about him.
Wheeler later apologized for some of his attacks against Marcus.