Chaney Re-elected Mississippi Insurance Commissioner

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Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney won re-election in Tuesday’s voting in Mississippi.

Chaney, a Republican from Vicksburg, defeated Democrat Louis Fondren of Gautier and Reform Party candidate Barbara Dale Washer of Hattiesburg.

Chaney, 67, was first elected commissioner in 2007.

He’d counted among his achievements digitizing department records, updating the agency’s website, recruiting 140 new insurance companies to the state, completing a hurricane wind mitigation study, helping create a $20 million grant-based mitigation program for Gulf Coast homeowners and giving back policyholders more than $11 million.

He also said the insurance department had recovered nearly $154 million related to jailed financial swindler Martin Frankel.

But opponents had charged more could be done to keep insurance rates low in Mississippi.

Also, Incumbent Attorney General Jim Hood won re-election to a third term in Tuesday’s voting.

Hood, a Democrat from Brandon, was opposed by former Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson, a Republican from Gulfport.

Hood, 49, was district attorney in seven north Mississippi counties before winning the open office of attorney general in 2003. He is the only Democrat in statewide elected office in Mississippi.