Higher office
The race to succeed Eliot Spitzer, recognized thorn in the side of the insurance industry, as New York attorney general is underway. Five candidates are running.
Four Democrats, all public sector professionals, are vying: Andrew Cuomo, the former federal housing secretary; Mark Green, the former New York City public advocate; Charlie King, a former housing official in the Clinton administration; and Sean Patrick Maloney, a former aide to President Clinton.
The winner of September’s Democratic primary will face another public sector veteran, Republican Jeanine Pirro, the former Westchester County district attorney.
Medicaid fraud, gun violence, organized crime, domestic violence and public corruption have been among the issues discussed thus far. Insurance issues haven’t been high-profile.
But it bears keeping in mind that whoever wins the attorney general race could be governor of the Empire State someday, perhaps replacing Spitzer, who, on the strength of his performance as attorney general, has built a strong lead in the race to succeed Gov. George Pataki.
The same goes for other statewide races in New York and in other states. Contests below those for governor often fly beneath the radar, yet they are the farm system for higher office. Once elected statewide, it becomes easier for politicians to move up.
We note that there are many insurance agents in public service. A fair number are in the ranks of elected state senators and representatives. Many serve on local boards and are involved in community services, in addition to serving as insurance professionals. Even more agents are very active in promoting issues and supporting favorite candidates. They are to be commended.
But is there a ceiling for agent involvement in state politics? How many independent agents seek higher office?
In the recent past, former insurance agents Richard Codey in New Jersey and John Rowland in Connecticut went so far as to be governors in their states.
Running for office is not a decision made on a whim. It can change one’s life, for good and bad. The personal and business affairs of candidates are placed under a microscope and very little escapes comment or criticism.
But wouldn’t it be good if more independent agents — indeed more people from a variety of walks of life — were encouraged to run for higher elected offices? Most in the insurance industry could probably name dozens of agents who would make good lieutenant governors, secretaries of state, attorneys generals or even governors.
Someone once said that politics is too important to be left to the politicians. Why not entrust more of it to insurance agents?