Daniel Hawkins, the Republican speaker of the Kansas House, is running for Kansas insurance commissioner in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democratic candidate Dinah Sykes and Libertarian Ric Koehn.
Hawkins, 64, is an insurance agent from Wichita who has spent three decades in the insurance business specializing in employee benefits, according to the Kansas Reflector. He said on his campaign website that he wants to use the office to reduce regulations, lower costs and protect Kansans from fraud.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Age: 64
- Residence: Wichita
- Education: Associate's degree in business from Hutchinson Community College (1981); bachelor's degree in marketing from Emporia State University (1983)
- Military service: Staff sergeant, Kansas Army National Guard (1979–1991)
- Family: Married to Diane since 1985; two daughters and four grandchildren, according to his campaign website
Experience and public service
Hawkins was first elected to the Kansas House in 2012, the Kansas Reflector reported. He has represented District 100 since 2013, according to BallotReady profile data. He rose through leadership ranks, serving as chair of the House Health Committee, then as majority leader from 2019 to 2023, according to his campaign website.
He has served as House speaker since 2023, the Kansas Reflector reported. Hawkins reached his term limit in that role, which restricts speakers to two consecutive terms.
In the private sector, Hawkins said he and his father started their first business in 1991. He worked as an agent at Mutual of New York (1995–1998) and at National Farmers Union (1998–2001), according to BallotReady. He served as president of The Hawkins Group Inc. from 2001 to 2023 and as an employee benefits consultant at Conrade Insurance Group from 2023 to 2025, according to BallotReady.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Hawkins' campaign website and candidate questionnaire responses.
Insurance regulation and costs: Hawkins said one reason Kansans pay so much for insurance is the lack of options. He said he would eliminate red tape and excessive regulations that keep potential options out of Kansas. He also said he is committed to making the Kansas Department of Insurance the most taxpayer-friendly state agency.
Fraud enforcement: Hawkins said he would use the authority of the office to protect Kansans from insurance and securities fraud. Fraud drives up rates for everyone, he said.
Healthcare: Hawkins has opposed Medicaid expansion throughout his legislative career, the Kansas Reflector reported. On his campaign website, Hawkins said he led the effort to prevent expansion of the Affordable Care Act in Kansas, claiming it saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
Taxes and budget: Hawkins said Kansas must become more competitive by continuing to reform its tax law toward a fairer, flatter system. He said the state should explore alternatives including flat-tax and fair-tax models.
Endorsements
The following endorsements were reported by BallotReady, credited to the endorsing organizations:
- NFIB in Kansas
- Kansas Chamber of Commerce
Candidate positions were drawn from Hawkins' campaign website and questionnaire responses compiled by BallotReady. This profile is based on publicly available records, the candidate's campaign website and questionnaire responses.
