North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance

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North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance

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General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $133,365
2020-2021 FY Budget:  $43,612,675
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:   North Carolina Constitution, Article III, Section 7
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder

North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Mike Causey
Republican Party
Assumed office: 2017-01-01

Elections
Next election:  November 5, 2024
Last election:  November 3, 2020
Other North Carolina Executive Offices
GovernorLieutenant GovernorSecretary of StateAttorney GeneralTreasurerAuditorSuperintendent of EducationAgriculture CommissionerInsurance CommissionerNatural Resources CommissionerLabor CommissionerPublic Service Commission

The North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance is an elected state executive position in the North Carolina state government. The commissioner is the head of the North Carolina Department of Insurance, serves as a member of the Council of State, and is also the State Fire Marshall.[1] Among its duties, the Department of Insurance regulates the insurance industry, handles insurance-related complaints, and licenses insurance agents.[1] Additionally, 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.[1]

The commissioner is elected by a statewide vote during presidential election years and serves for a four-year term.

Current officeholder[edit]

The current officeholder is Mike Causey (R). He was elected to the position in 2016 and assumed office on January 1, 2017.[2] Causey was re-elected to a second term in 2020. He succeeded Wayne Goodwin (D) in the position.

Authority[edit]

The commissioner of insurance's establishment and term of office are derived from Article III, Section 7 of the North Carolina Constitution.

Article III, Section 7:

A Secretary of State, an Auditor, a Treasurer, a Superintendent of Public Instruction, an Attorney General, a Commissioner of Agriculture, a Commissioner of Labor, and a Commissioner of Insurance shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State in 1972 and every four years thereafter, at the same time and places as members of the General Assembly are elected. Their term of office shall be four years and shall commence on the first day of January next after their election and continue until their successors are elected and qualified.[3]

Qualifications[edit]

Article VI, Section 6 of the North Carolina Constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:

Every qualified voter in North Carolina who is 21 years of age, except as in this Constitution disqualified, shall be eligible for election by the people to office.[3]


  • Qualified North Carolina voter
  • At least 21 years of age

Vacancies[edit]

Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article III, Section 7.

If a vacancy occurs in the office, the governor appoints another to serve until a successor is elected and qualified. Every such vacancy shall be filled by election at the first election for members of the General Assembly that occurs more than 60 days after the vacancy has taken place, and the person chosen shall hold the office for the remainder of the unexpired term.[3]

Duties[edit]

The commissioner of insurance is the head of the North Carolina Department of Insurance, serves as a member of the Council of State, and is also the State Fire Marshall.[1] Among its duties, the Department of Insurance regulates the insurance industry, handles insurance-related complaints, and licenses insurance agents.[1] Additionally, 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.[1] Additional duties of the office include, but are not limited to:[1][4]

  • Fixing and collect fees of services performed by code enforcement officials and collect mileage reimbursements for those officials;
  • Reporting to the attorney general any violations of the laws relating to insurance companies, associations, and bureaus;
  • Providing residents of the state a synopsis of the provisions of any insurance contract given to him or her after receiving the appropriate application from the resident;
  • Investigating insurance fraud; and
  • Educating the public about fire safety and injury prevention.

Elections[edit]

North Carolina state government organizational chart

North Carolina elects the insurance commissioner in presidential election years. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, which begins the first day of January following the election.[3]

2020[edit]

See also: North Carolina Insurance Commissioner election, 2020

General election candidates


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Republican Party Republican primary candidates


2016[edit]

See also: North Carolina Insurance Commissioner election, 2016
Mike Causey defeated incumbent Wayne Goodwin in the North Carolina insurance commisioner election.
North Carolina Insurance Commisioner, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Mike Causey 50.44% 2,247,595
     Democratic Wayne Goodwin Incumbent 49.56% 2,208,241
Total Votes 4,455,836
Source: ABC11

Full history[edit]


Divisions[edit]

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. 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 Carolina state budget and finances

The budget for the Department of Insurance in Fiscal Year 2020-2021 was $43,612,675.[5]

Compensation[edit]

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

Article III, Section 9 of the North Carolina Constitution defines the method by which the agriculture commissioner's compensation is set:

The officers whose offices are established by this Article shall at stated periods receive the compensation and allowances prescribed by law, which shall not be diminished during the time for which they have been chosen.[3]

2020[edit]

In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $133,365, according to the Council of State Governments.[6]

2019[edit]

In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $127,561, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]

2018[edit]

In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $127,561, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]

2017[edit]

In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $127,561, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

2016[edit]

In 2016, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $125,676, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

2015[edit]

In 2015, the insurance commissioner received a salary of $125,676, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

2014[edit]

In 2014, the commissioner was paid an estimated $124,676, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

2013[edit]

In 2013, the commissioner was paid an estimated $124,676.[13]

2010[edit]

In 2010, the commissioner was paid an estimated $123,198, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

Historical officeholders[edit]

There have been 11 commissioners of insurance since 1899. Of the 11 commissioners, ten were Democratic and one was Republican. In 2016, Mike Causey became the first Republican elected to the office.[15][16]

List of Historical Officeholders from 1899-Present
# Name Tenure Party
1 James R. Young 1899-1921 Electiondot.png Democratic
2 Stacey W. Wade 1921-1927 Electiondot.png Democratic
3 Daniel C. Boney 1927-1942 Electiondot.png Democratic
4 William P. Hodges 1942-1949 Electiondot.png Democratic
5 Waldo C. Creek 1949-1953 Electiondot.png Democratic
6 Charles F. Gold 1953-1962 Electiondot.png Democratic
7 Edwin S. Lanier 1962-1973 Electiondot.png Democratic
8 John R. Ingram 1973-1985 Electiondot.png Democratic
9 James Eugene Long 1985-2009 Electiondot.png Democratic
10 George Goodwin 2009-2017 Electiondot.png Democratic
11 Mike Causey 2017-Present Ends.png Republican

Recent news[edit]

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

Contact information[edit]

Physical address:
Albermarle Building
325. N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh NC 27603

Mailing address:
NC Department of Insurance
1201 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699

Toll free: 855-408-1212
Agent services: 919-807-6800

See also[edit]

North Carolina State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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North Carolina State Executive Offices
North Carolina State Legislature
North Carolina Courts
2022202120202019201820172016
North Carolina elections: 2022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links[edit]

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Suggest a link

Footnotes[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 NC Department of Insurance, "About DOI," accessed Feb. 1, 2021
  2. NC Department of Insurance, "Mike Causey," accessed Feb. 1, 2021
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 North Carolina State Legislature, "North Carolina State Constitution," accessed Feb. 1, 2021
  4. Justia, "NC Gen Stat § 58-2-40 (2019)," accessed Feb. 1, 2021
  5. Office of State Budget and Management, "2020-21 Certified Budget," accessed Feb. 1, 2021
  6. Issuu, "The Book of the States," Sept. 30, 2020
  7. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
  8. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
  9. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed Jan. 27, 2021
  10. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
  11. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
  12. Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
  13. The Nerve Center, "S.C. Salary Panel Approves Salaries for New Insurance Director, Winthrop University President," accessed February 27, 2013
  14. The Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," accessed May 14, 2011
  15. Carolana.com, "Commissioner of Insurance," accessed Feb. 2, 2021
  16. Carolina Journal, "Three GOP Challengers Hope To Be First Republican Insurance Commissioner," March 14, 2016



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