Ralph Hudgens Explained
| Ralph Hudgens |
| Office: | Insurance Commissioner of Georgia |
| Governor: | Nathan Deal |
| Term Start: | January 10, 2011 |
| Term End: | January 14, 2019 |
| Predecessor: | John Oxendine |
| Successor: | Jim Beck |
| State Senate1: | Georgia |
| District1: | 47th |
| Term Start1: | January 2003 |
| Term End1: | January 2011 |
| Predecessor1: | Mike Beatty[1] |
| Successor1: | Frank Ginn[2] |
| State House2: | Georgia |
| District2: | 24th |
| Term Start2: | January 1997 |
| Term End2: | January 2003 |
| Predecessor2: | John Scoggins[3] |
| Successor2: | Warren Massey[4] |
| Birth Date: | 21 November 1942 |
| Birth Place: | Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Spouse: | Suzanne Hudgens |
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
Sources
- https://web.archive.org/web/20101128141802/http://ralphhudgens.com/about_ralph
- http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/election_results/2010_1102/00250.htm
Notes and References
- Web site: Our Campaigns - GA State Senate 47 Race - Nov 05, 2002.
- Web site: Our Campaigns - GA State Senate 047 Race - Nov 04, 2008.
- Web site: Our Campaigns - GA State House 024 Race - Nov 05, 1996.
- Web site: Our Campaigns - GA State House 024 Race - Nov 07, 2000.
- Web site: Lawmakers Report Increase In Georgia Auto Insurance Rates in 2015 . kaufmanlawfirm.com . Kaufman Law P.C. . 22 August 2019 . 22 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190822031628/https://www.kaufmanlawfirm.com/lawmakers-report-increase-in-georgia-auto-insurance-rates-in-2015/ . dead .
- http://www.ralphhudgens.com/about
- News: Ga. insurance chief brags about sabotage of ObamaCare. 11 December 2013. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 29 August 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130829173941/http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/jay-bookman/2013/aug/29/ga-insurance-chief-brags-about-sabotage-obamacare/ . 2013-08-29.
- News: Ralph Hudgens: No longer an Obamacare 'obstructionist'. 28 August 2014. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 28 August 2014.
- News: Another Georgia Republican Forgot The Camera Was Rolling, Accidentally Spoke His Mind. 11 December 2013. Huffington Post. 5 December 2013.
- News: Hudgens walks back remarks about chronically ill people. 11 December 2013. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 4 December 2013.
- News: VIDEO: Journalist Roughed Up And Removed From Georgia GOP Event. 2 September 2014. Talking Points Memo. 2 September 2014.
