Republican James Brown beat Democrat John Repke in the race for the office of Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, State Auditor. Brown had 62% of the vote with 625 out of 727 precincts reporting in.
Commissioner Troy Downing, who has held the office since 2021, chose not to run again and opted to vie for the U.S. House to represent Montana’s 2nd Congressional District. Downing beat Democrat John B. Drioscoll with 66% of the vote and all precincts reporting in. The Associated Press late Tuesday had already called the race for Downing.
Both candidates have made insurance affordability and availability a key part of their campaigns.
If elected, Brown said he plans to address rates by attracting new insurers by creating a more welcoming regulatory environment, while Repke said the larger insurance landscape must be examined through the lens of the climate change-driven catastrophes that are reshaping the industry, according to an article in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
Repke was previously was the chief financial officer for SmartLam North America. He was also the chief financial officer for Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp., and vice president of finance for the HAVI Group LP.
Brown has been chairman of the Montana Public Service Commission chairman since 2021. Prior to that, he owned and operated a private legal practice for more than a decade, primarily representing small business owners and agriculture producers.
Montana Free Press reports that the state agency has a $10 million budget and a 72-employee payroll.
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