Waites Defeats King for Georgia Insurance Commissioner
Democrat Keisha Sean Waites won the state's insurance and fire safety commissioner post, unseating Republican incumbent John King.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Insurance
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Democrat Keisha Sean Waites defeated Republican incumbent John King for Georgia Insurance and Fire Safety commissioner in a race decided Tuesday night. King had been appointed to the post by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019 after the federal indictment of then-commissioner Jim Beck.
Why it matters
The result changes who leads the state office that oversees insurance regulation and fire safety in Georgia. It follows a 2022 rematch in which Waites also ran against King for the same post.
Waites served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives and previously worked with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The extraction does not report vote totals or margin of victory for the race.
The players
Keisha Sean Waites
Waites is a former Atlanta city councilor and three-term Georgia House member who previously worked with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
John King
King is the Republican who was appointed insurance commissioner by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019 and lost the post in the 2026 election.
Brian Kemp
Kemp is the Georgia governor who appointed King to the insurance commissioner post in 2019.
The details
Waites, a former Atlanta city councilor, ran as the Democratic nominee and defeated King, a Republican. King's 2019 appointment followed the federal indictment of then-commissioner Jim Beck on wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering charges.
Timeline
2019: Gov. Brian Kemp appoints John King as insurance commissioner.
2020: Waites runs in special congressional primaries for Georgia's 5th District.
2022: Waites runs as Democratic nominee against King for the same post.
Nov. 3, 2026: Waites defeats King in the midterm election.
Market Dynamics
Waites's win follows the 2022 Waites-King contest for the same Georgia insurance commissioner post, which King won. The 2026 result reverses that outcome for the office that regulates insurers and fire safety in the state.
The new commissioner will oversee insurance regulation and fire safety for Georgia residents and businesses. The extraction does not specify any policy changes or effective dates tied to the transition.
The takeaway
Voters in Georgia chose a new leader for the state office that regulates insurance and fire safety. The change marks a shift in who oversees those responsibilities after several years under gubernatorial appointment.
Further reading
For more on how state insurance oversight works, see Insurance coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Atlantanewsfirst.
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