Donald Chasteen for Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner

Incumbent Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak has hit his term limit. I will be voting for Donald Chasteen to replace him.

Donald Chasteen is a Shelter Insurance agent based in Inola. He served as a Tulsa firefighter from 1988 to 2002. In 2006, he founded the Inola Wrecker Service, providing towing in an area that had lacked it for many years. In 2008, Chasteen saved the life of an Inola woman with respiratory disease, responding to an emergency dispatch about her situation by donating and personally installing a window unit air conditioner in her overheated home. In 2009, he was honored by the Inola Chamber as Service Entrepreneur of the Year and was commended by the Inola fire chief for donating mechanic and tow services to the town's volunteer fire department. Chasteen has served in recent years as President and on the board of the Inola Area Chamber of Commerce and the Inola Hay Day Association.

Chasteen says that Oklahoma has the 10th highest insurance rates in the nation, and that Oklahomans need more health insurance options. As an agent serving rural Oklahoma, he's seen how decisions at the State Capitol make living life and doing business more expensive for his neighbors because those decisions drive up the cost of insurance.

Chasteen has demonstrated not only understanding but initiative and leadership in solving insurance-related problems for his neighbors. On Chasteen's campaign website, there's a tribute from local business owner Scott Roy:

I first met Donald Chasteen as he was serving as the President of the Inola Chamber of Commerce. During that time, Donald brought to the attention of the Chamber an issue with how insurance databases looked at and scored the Inola Fire Department for serving the Inola town, Inola zip code, Southeast corner of Rogers County and spill over into Mayes and Wagoner counties. The problem, as Donald pointed out, is that the databases were not current or reflected incorrect information as to the capabilities of the Inola fire department and the coverage area that they were willing to serve. These inaccuracies were causing not only higher insurance costs for his direct customers but for the entire Inola and surrounding area. While this information is available, Donald seemed to be the only one with the knowledge and insight to see and understand the impact this was having on the area people.

The situation actually was that the insurance databases did not reflect that the Inola Fire Department had upgraded their equipment which should have changed the class or performance capability of the department for serving the area. The improved equipment meant that they could now put out fires faster and could address some fire types that they were not able to properly address previously. The database also said that the Inola Fire Department only served the town of Inola and Inola zip code areas. It did not show that Inola Fire Department would respond to fires in nearby Mayes or Wagoner counties (approximately 5 miles away from the Inola Fire Station). Often the Inola Fire Department was the closest to some fires in Mayes or Wagoner counties and was the fastest to respond to those needs because of proximity.

Donald took it upon himself as the local insurance expert to provide the details of the problem, provide what pieces of information needed update and guided the local fire department on how to address and fix this issue. He pointed out that making these changes to update these insurance databases for the city and fire department would improve the classification of the Inola Fire Department and ultimately lower everyone's insurance rates as a result. Keep in mind that most of these people that would benefit from these changes were not Donald's customers and the action was not publicized to help win new customers.

Now, here is what I want people to understand about this situation and why it helps prove that Donald Chasteen is a great candidate for Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner.

1. Donald had insurance and fire department expertise that no one else had to identify this problem.
2. Rather than tell or send an email to someone important asking them to fix this, Donald actually took personal ownership of this issue and provided guiding steps and information on how to make these changes. The information does have to be submitted officially from the fire department but Donald provided everything needed to allow them to submit for these changes.
3. Donald did not make any money for doing this and it did not help his career as an insurance agent for keeping or winning business. That folks is the definition of a public servant and is winning proof that his heart is in the right place.

There are a lot of insurance experts out there in the state of Oklahoma. There are a lot of politicians who know how the game is played at the state capitol. There are even a number of people who claim they are willing to represent the needs of the Oklahoma voter. However, I do not believe that there is a single person running for Oklahoma State Insurance Commissioner in 2018 that has the insurance expertise, the drive, the grit to face opposition, and the proven history of affecting positive change for insurance for the Oklahoma people as Donald Chasteen. If Donald can do this for the local area, imagine what he can do at the State level. I encourage everyone to vote for him in both the Primary and General Elections for 2018!

The favorite in this race is State House Floor Leader Glen Mulready. Mulready is part of the legislative leadership that failed to use its electoral mandate to pursue the state government reforms needed to avert the school funding crisis, instead pushing the problem off on Oklahoma's taxpayers. Mulready also voted this year to make it easier for the legislature to raise our taxes without putting the proposed increase to a vote of the people. Mulready is a pleasant person and his TV ads are clever, but I don't think his failure to use his leadership to push for the fiscal reform our state needed should be rewarded with higher office.

Instead, Republicans should choose a community leader and insurance professional who is a demonstrated servant leader, not part of Oklahoma's political swamp. Please join me in electing Donald Chasteen as Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner.

MORE: On his Facebook page, Donald Chasteen has a number of audio files and brief articles discussing issues in the campaign.