Members of the National Council of Insurance Legislators have picked Democrats to hold the group's two top officer slots in the coming year.
California Assemblyman Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova, succeeded Indiana Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Berne, as NCOIL's 2021-2022 president last week, at the group's annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.
New York Assemblymember Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston, succeeded Cooley as NCOIL's vice president.
The new NCOIL treasurer is Texas Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Houston, and the new secretary is Arkansas Rep. Deborah Ferguson, D-West Memphis.
Tom Considine, a former New Jersey insurance commissioner, continues to be NCOIL's CEO.
What It Means
In theory, NCOIL's leadership makeup could help the group work better with the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and it could cause friction if Republicans gain control of the House of Representatives, the Senate or both chambers.
Cooley himself suggested in a statement that NCOIL is an example of a group where Republicans and Democrats work well together.
"I am proud of the bipartisan friendships and solutions that NCOIL promotes, and I consider it a great honor to be asked to take on duties as NCOIL president during 2022," Cooley said in the statement.
Other NCOIL officers also emphasized the collaborative nature of their organization.
Ferguson, a dentist who serves on the Arkansas House Insurance and Commerce Committee, said that she has appreciated having a chance to learn more about insurance issues in a nonpartisan atmosphere.
