North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance

General information
Office Type: | Partisan
Office website: | Official Link
Compensation: | $107,885
2022 FY Budget: | $31,474,180
Term limits: | None
Structure
Length of term: |  4 years
Authority: | North Dakota Constitution, Article V, Section 2
Selection Method: | Elected
Current Officeholder

North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance Jon Godfread
Republican Party
Assumed office: 2017-01-03

Elections
Next election: | November 5, 2024
Last election: | November 3, 2020
Other North Dakota Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission • Tax Commissioner

## Contents

* 1 Current officeholder
* 2 Authority
* 3 Qualifications
* 4 Vacancies
* 5 Duties
* 6 Elections
* 6.1 2020
* 6.2 2016
* 6.3 Full history
* 7 Divisions
* 8 Historical officeholders
* 9 State budget
* 10 Compensation
* 10.1 2020
* 10.2 2019
* 10.3 2018
* 10.4 2017
* 10.5 2016
* 10.6 2015
* 10.7 2014
* 10.8 2013
* 11 Recent news
* 12 Contact information
* 13 See also
* 14 External links
* 15 Footnotes

The North Dakota Insurance Commissioner is an elected state executive position in the North Dakota state government. The commissioner is the head of the state Insurance Department.[1] The office oversees the state's insurance industry and provides consumer protection services.[2]

The commissioner serves a four-year term and is popularly elected during presidential election years.[3]

## Current officeholder[edit]

The current officeholder is Jon Godfread (R).[4] He was elected to the position in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. Goodread succeeded Adam Hamm (R) in the position.

## Authority[edit]

The insurance commissioner's authority is derived from Article V, Section 2 of the North Dakota Constitution.

Article V, Section 2:

The qualified electors of the state at the times and places of choosing members of the legislative assembly shall choose a governor, lieutenant governor, agriculture commissioner, attorney general, auditor, insurance commissioner, three public service commissioners, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, tax commissioner, and treasurer. ...[3]

## Qualifications[edit]

Article V, Section 4 of the North Dakota Constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:

To be eligible to hold an elective office established by this article, a person must be a qualified elector of this state, must be at least twenty-five years of age on the day of the election, and must have been a resident of this state for the five years preceding election to office. ...[3]

* Qualified North Dakota voter
* At least 25 years old
* A resident of North Dakota for at least five years preceding the election

## Vacancies[edit]

Article V, Section 8 addresses vacancies in state executive offices. In the event of a vacancy, the governor appoints a successor. Once appointed, the individual serves the remainder of the unexpired term.[3] If a vacancy occurs within 95 days before a regularly-scheduled election for the position, the office must remain vacant.[5]

## Duties[edit]

The commissioner is the head of the state Insurance Department.[1] The office oversees the state's insurance industry and provides consumer protection services.[2] The department enforces relevant laws and regulations, ensures competitive marketplaces, and addresses consumer fraud.[6] Additional duties include, but are not limited to:[6]

* Reporting any violation of insurance law to the attorney general;
* Filing the articles of incorporation of all insurance companies organized or doing business in the state;
* Submitting a biennial report to the secretary of state containing abstracts of the reports of the insurance companies doing business in the state;
* Managing, controlling, and supervising the state bonding, fire, and tornado funds; and
* Implementing a program to assist low-income individuals in gaining access to prescription medications through prescription drug assistance programs.

## Elections[edit]

North Dakota state government organizational chart

North Dakota elects insurance commissioners to four-year terms during presidential election years.[3]

### 2020[edit]

See also: North Dakota Insurance Commissioner election, 2020

General election candidates

* Jon Godfread (Incumbent) (Republican Party) ✔

Democratic primary candidates

* Travisia Martin ✔

Republican primary candidates

* Jon Godfread (Incumbent) ✔

### 2016[edit]

See also: North Dakota Insurance Commissioner election, 2016

The general election for insurance commissioner was held on November 8, 2016.

Jon Godfread defeated Ruth Buffalo and Nick Bata in the North Dakota insurance commissioner election.

North Dakota Insurance Commissioner, 2016

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  |  Jon Godfread | 64.41% | 206,067
| Democratic/Democrat-Nonpartisan League  | Ruth Buffalo | 26.79% | 85,696
| Libertarian  | Nick Bata | 8.64% | 27,642
|  | Write-in votes | 0.17% | 534
Total Votes | 319,939
Source: North Dakota Secretary of State

### Full history[edit]

To view the electoral history dating back to 2000 for the office of North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance, click [show] to expand the section.

|

2012

See also: North Dakota down ballot state executive elections, 2012

Incumbent Adam Hamm (R) won re-election in 2012. He defeated Tom Potter (D) in the November 6, 2012 general election.

| North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Adam Hamm Incumbent | 63.3% | 192,031
| Democratic  |  Tom Potter  | 36.7% | 111,099
Total Votes | 303,130
Election results via North Dakota Secretary of State

2008

On November 4, 2008, Adam Hamm won re-election to the office of North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance. He defeated Jasper Schneider (D-NPL) in the general election.

North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance, 2008

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Adam Hamm Incumbent | 50.3% | 151,019
| Democratic  |  Jasper Schneider  | 49.7% | 149,186
Total Votes | 300,205
Election results via North Dakota Secretary of State.

2004

On November 2, 2004, Jim Poolman won re-election to the office of North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance. He defeated Terry Barnes (D-NPL) in the general election.

North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance, 2004

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Jim Poolman Incumbent | 64.4% | 189,976
| Democratic  |  Terry Barnes  | 35.6% | 105,130
Total Votes | 295,106
Election results via North Dakota Secretary of State.

2000

On November 7, 2000, Jim Poolman won election to the office of North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance. He defeated Gorman King, Jr. (D-NPL) in the general election.

North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance, 2000

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Jim Poolman | 53.3% | 144,985
| Democratic  |  Gorman King, Jr.  | 46.7% | 127,223
Total Votes | 272,208
Election results via North Dakota Secretary of State.

## Divisions[edit]

The Insurance Department consists of the following divisions:[7]

* Administration: responsible for the budgeting, information technology, and human resources needs of the department.
* Producer Licensing: issues, renews, and processes producer licensing, agent appointments, and continuing-education filing reports.
* Consumer Assistance: assists consumers who need help with insurance or are having difficulty with their insurance providers and manages the Prescription Connection and State Health Insurance Counseling programs.
* Examination and Company Licensing: monitors the financial strength of insurance companies, performs periodic audits of state-based companies, and oversees the licensing of insurance companies.
* Legal: works with investigators to enforce applicable insurance laws and brings administrative actions against those who violate the laws.
* Product Filing: review policy forms to ensure the language complies with other state laws and evaluates premium rates to identify excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory rates.

## Historical officeholders[edit]

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

## State budget[edit]

See also: North Dakota state budget and finances

The budget for the Insurance Department in Fiscal Year 2022 was $31,474,180.[8]

## Compensation[edit]

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

The North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance is legally entitled to an annual salary in accordance with Title 54 of the North Dakota Century Code.

### 2020[edit]

In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $107,885, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

### 2019[edit]

In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $127,561, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

### 2018[edit]

In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $105,770, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

### 2017[edit]

In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $105,768, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

### 2016[edit]

In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $102,687, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

### 2015[edit]

In 2015, the commissioner received a salary of $99,696, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

### 2014[edit]

In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $96,793, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

### 2013[edit]

In 2013, the commissioner received a salary of $93,070, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

North Dakota Commissioner of Insurance - Google News

## Contact information[edit]

Physical Address:
600 E. Boulevard Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58505-0320

Phone: 701-328-2440
Consumer hotline: 800-247-0560
TTY: 800-366-6888
Fax: 701-328-9610
Email: insurance@nd.gov

## See also[edit]

North Dakota | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis

|
|

North Dakota State Executive Offices North Dakota State Legislature North Dakota Courts |  2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 North Dakota elections: 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 |  Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* North Dakota Insurance Department

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 North Dakota Insurance Department, "About Us," accessed Feb. 3, 2021
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 North Dakota Insurance Department, "Mission," accessed Feb. 3, 2021
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 North Dakota Legislative Branch, "Constitution," accessed Feb. 3, 2021
4. ↑ North Dakota Insurance Department, "Meet the Commissioner," accessed Feb. 3, 2021
5. ↑ Justia, "Chapter 44-02," accessed Feb. 3, 2021
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Justia, "Chapter 26.1-01," accessed Feb. 3, 2021
7. ↑ North Dakota Insurance Department, "Divisions," accessed Feb. 3, 2021
8. ↑ North Dakota Office of Management and Budget, "Legislative Appropriations 2021-2023 Biennium," accessed September 20, 2021
9. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States," Sept. 30, 2020
10. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
11. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
12. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed December 3, 2017
13. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
15. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 4, 2014
16. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 27, 2014

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