Who are the candidates for Ag, Labor and Insurance commissioners in 2022 Georgia election?

The bottom of an election ballot is a lonely place to be - especially when your name has never appeared there before.

Come the Nov. 8 midterm election, most Georgia voters won't recognize candidates running to lead three state agencies: Agriculture, Insurance and Fire Safety, and Labor. For the first time in decades, none of the candidates in those races will have ever won a statewide race.

Incumbents for Agriculture and Labor aren't running for re-election to their current posts, and the one current officeholder seeking another term was appointed to his position by Gov. Brian Kemp.

2022 primary election: Who is running for commissioner of Agriculture, Labor and Insurance in Georgia?

The Agriculture commissioner is wide open because three-term incumbent Gary Black sought the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate. He lost to Herschel Walker in the primary. Republican Tyler Harper, Democrat Nakita Hemingway and two other candidates will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Labor Commissioner Mark Butler won't seek re-election after three terms in the post, his last marred by the COVID-19 pandemic and an onslaught of unemployment claims. Democrat William Boddie will face Republican Bruce Thompson in November. Both are members of the Georgia General Assembly. A Libertarian candidate, Emily Anderson, will also be on the ballot.

As for Insurance and Fire Safety commissioner, John King is the Kemp appointee currently leading the agency. He was put in the post after 2018 election winner Jim Beck was removed from office following his conviction for wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and tax fraud. King, a Republican, is facing a challenge from Democrat Janice Laws Robinson.

What are the commissioners roles?

The Agriculture commissioner regulates businesses that grow, breed, sell or process agricultural products. The commissioner's oversight extends to gasoline quality and pump calibration and governmental weights and measures. The officeholder also markets Georgia agricultural products domestically and internationally.

The Insurance and Safety Fire commissioner licenses and regulates insurance companies, investigates suspicions of insurance fraud and conducts fire inspections.

The Labor commissioner oversees Georgia's unemployment insurance, workforce development and rehabilitation programs. The Labor department also produces research and statistics regarding Georgia's labor market.

What happened in the primaries?

The commissioner races drew deep candidate fields, with only Harper, the GOP prospect for Agriculture commissioner, running unopposed. Two of the primary races went to runoffs: The Democratic contest for Insurance and Fire Safety, won by Laws-Robinson, and the Democratic primary for Labor, won by Boddie.

What do you need to know about Agriculture commissioner candidates

Both Harper and Hemingway are farmers by occupation - Harper grows crops on his family's farm in Ocilla, located near Tifton; Hemingway is a cut flower grower in Gwinnett County who also sells real estate. Harper is a sitting state senator in his fifth term.

Agriculture is Georgia's leading industry and both candidates are campaigning on protecting the food chain and supporting farmers. Harper is a vocal champion on expanding rural broadband to assist farmers while Hemingway is a proponent of marijuana and hemp farming, an industry that is still navigating legislative challenges.

What do you need to know about Insurance commissioner candidates?

King, the incumbent, is a former law enforcement officer who served as police chief in Doraville, a small municipality in metro Atlanta. He is a U.S. Army National Guard veteran. A native of Mexico, he became the first Hispanic-American to hold statewide office in Georgia when he was appointed to the commissioner's role in 2019.

Laws Robinson is an insurance agent and was the runner-up in the 2018 election for insurance commissioner, narrowly missing a runoff. Like King, she is a naturalized American, having emigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica as a teenager.

As for campaign platforms, King touts his success in leading the agency past the scandals surrounding his predecessor, Beck, and improving services. He's leveraged his law enforcement background to focus on rooting out insurance fraud, a chronic problem in Georgia.

Laws Robinson is stumping on curbing auto insurance rates, which would require legislative changes. She has also proposed appointing a special deputy insurance commissioner to focus solely on health insurance, especially mental health, now that the Legislature has passed a law that requires most Georgia insurers to treat mental and physical health equally.

What do you need to know about Labor commissioner candidates?

Boddie, the Democratic nominee, is an attorney specializing in personal injury cases and criminal defense. His political career dates to 2016, when he ran for and won a Georgia House seat.

Thompson, the GOP candidate, is a U.S. Army National Guard veteran and an entrepreneur involved in a variety of businesses, from swimming pool covers to computer software to insurance. Thompson has served in the Georgia Senate since 2013.

Both candidates vow to revamp the Georgia Labor department, which was heavily criticized for its service shortcomings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment reached 12.5% in 2020, and claims overwhelmed the staff. The state's unemployment rate is now at an all-time low of 2.8%.