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Ralph Hudgens (born November 21, 1942) was the Commissioner of Insurance of the state of Georgia from January 10, 2011, to January 14, 2019. Hudgens served in the Georgia House of Representatives as well as the Georgia Senate. He has been a delegate to numerous Republican Party events. Hudgens defeated his Democratic opponent in the 2010 election with 53.8% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2014. He announced on July 17, 2017, that he would not run for re-election in 2018. Hudgens believed insurance rates should be allowed to increase based on competition and not regulation as did former regulatory favorable Commissioner John Oxendine. During Hudgens's time in office Georgia auto insurance rates greatly increased including one year Georgia experienced the highest increase in the United States.[5] Hudgens and his wife, Suzanne, have four children and twelve grandchildren.[6]

Views on Obamacare

With regard to Obamacare, as the Georgia Insurance Commissioner, Hudgens has opposed the implementation of Affordable Care Act and vowed to be an "obstructionist" while speaking to a group of Republicans at the Tillman Hanger Rally in Floyd County, Georgia.[7] However, Hudgens later admitted "I spoke to a Republican group in Rome, Ga., and I said I was going to be an obstructionist, but I can’t be. I mean, I was talking to a Republican group and I was throwing them some red meat."[8]

At the CSRA Republican Women's Club meeting, he criticized the Affordable Care Act by likening the patients with preexisting condition to a car driver that has gotten in an accident and seeks car insurance post incident.[9] He has since retracted his remarks and stated, "I've had family members, I've had friends - who have pre-existing conditions. It's not the person's fault they have a pre-existing condition."[10]

Recent controversy

At a Georgia Republican public event in August 2014, Hudgens was speaking and happened to notice a journalist, Nydia Tisdale, videotaping the event, which caused him to direct a comment at her, publicly stating "I don't know why you're videotaping". This led to some apparent discomfort, in spite of her already having had approval to record the public event. Subsequently, the police arrested Tisdale, with accusations currently being leveled both at the police as well as at Tisdale. At this time, the dispute has not been settled but video has surfaced of the event.[11]

Electoral history

Georgia House of Representatives 24th District Election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens 6,496 50.3
Democratic John Scoggins 6,425 49.7
Georgia House of Representatives 24th District Election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens (inc.) 5,606 100.0
Georgia House of Representatives 24th District Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens (inc.) 6,926 52.4
Democratic Douglas McKillip 6,291 47.6
Georgia State Senate 47th District Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens 17,889 51.8
Democratic Bob Banks 16,619 48.2
Georgia State Senate 47th District Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens (inc.) 40,504 71.1
Democratic Bill Healan 16,441 28.9
Georgia State Senate 47th District Election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens (inc.) 24,927 64.9
Democratic Marc Rawson 13,501 35.1
Georgia State Senate 47th District Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens (inc.) 46,257 64.8
Democratic Tim Riley 25,172 35.2
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Republican Primary Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens 117,462 20.7
Republican Maria Sheffield 111,302 19.6
Republican Tom Knox 91,930 16.2
Republican Gerry Purcell 72,158 12.7
Republican Dennis Cain 53,797 9.5
Republican Seth Harp 48,265 8.5
Republican Rick Collum 29,536 5.2
Republican John Mamalakis 21,513 3.8
Republican Stephen Northington 21,196 3.7
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Republican Primary Runoff Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens 284,447 55.2
Republican Maria Sheffield 230,453 44.8
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens 1,368,289 53.8
Democratic Mary Squires 1,079,716 42.4
Libertarian Shane Bruce 96,549 3.8
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ralph Hudgens (inc.) 1,382,551 54.87
Democratic Elizabeth "Liz" Johnson 1,050,883 41.70
Libertarian Edward "Ted" Metz 86,427 3.43

References

  1. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA State Senate 47 Race - Nov 05, 2002".
  2. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA State Senate 047 Race - Nov 04, 2008".
  3. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA State House 024 Race - Nov 05, 1996".
  4. ^ "Our Campaigns - GA State House 024 Race - Nov 07, 2000".
  5. ^ "Lawmakers Report Increase In Georgia Auto Insurance Rates in 2015". kaufmanlawfirm.com. Kaufman Law P.C. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  6. ^ http://www.ralphhudgens.com/about
  7. ^ "Ga. insurance chief brags about sabotage of ObamaCare". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 29 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  8. ^ "Ralph Hudgens: No longer an Obamacare 'obstructionist'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Another Georgia Republican Forgot The Camera Was Rolling, Accidentally Spoke His Mind". Huffington Post. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Hudgens walks back remarks about chronically ill people". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  11. ^ "VIDEO: Journalist Roughed Up And Removed From Georgia GOP Event". Talking Points Memo. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.

Sources

Political offices
Preceded by Insurance Commissioner of Georgia
2011–2019
Succeeded by