Candidate for insurance commissioner makes a stop in Moultrie

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September 3, 2009

John Oxford The Moultrie Observer Thu Sep 03, 2009, 09:50 PM EDT

MOULTRIE — A candidate for state insurance commissioner made a campaign stop in Moultrie Thursday.

Ralph Hudgens, a state senator from Hull, announced his candidacy for insurance commissioner June 29. He hopes to replace current Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, who is running for Georgia governor. He was a guest at the Moultrie Kiwanis Club meeting Thursday.

Hudgens said he has served in the Georgia General Assembly for 13 years, serving in the House from 1996 until 2002 and as a senator since 2002. He is chairman of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee and vice chairman of both the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Commission and the Banking and Financial Institution Committee.

Prior to his service in the General Assembly, Hudgens said he was the state executive director of the ASCS, now the Farm Services Agency, under President George H.W. Bush. He is also a legislative member of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission (IIPRC).

The goal of the IIPRC is to maintain state-based regulations on insurance and keep it from national government control, Hudgens said. The organization currently allows an insurance company to file a request and be able to sell in 36 states, including Georgia, if approved.

Hudgens said he has owned several businesses, which have allowed him to understand what it takes to run a large operation. He said he understands how important having things like insurance mean to every Georgian, and he said he has spent his life working to make things right for all of his employees.

“My lifetime I’ve been prepared for an office such as this,” Hudgens said. “I’m no stranger to running a large agency. I think you need someone in there with lots of experience.”

Hudgens said he believes Oxendine has done a good job in his time as commissioner, and he would only make slight modifications to the office if elected. One modification would be to allow insurance companies to compete with their rates to allow Georgia citizens to find the best price on everything but their life and health insurance, which are not regulated. He worked on providing the service to Georgians through Senate Bill 276.

“I’m a Republican that believes the free market works,” Hudgens said.

Hudgens also understands the roles he would have as insurance commissioner, as he knows the office covers more than insurance regulation. The office serves as state fire marshall, comptroller general and inspects racetracks and mobile home safety, among other duties.

Hudgens and his wife, Suzanne, have four children and 12 grandchildren, and they are members of Winterville Baptist Church in Winterville. He said he would retire from public service following his term as insurance commissioner.

“I believe this would be a good capstone for my career in public service,” Hudgens said.

Several other Republicans and one Democrat have also announced their candidacy for the post: John Fuchko, state Sen. Seth Harp, Tom Knox, Peachtree City Mayor Harold K. Logsdon, Stephen Northington and Gerry Purcell on the Republican side and Mary Squires on the Democrat side.

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