Daniel Hawkins, the Republican speaker of the Kansas House, is running for insurance commissioner in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democratic candidate Dinah Sykes and Libertarian Ric Koehn, according to BallotReady.

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 reached his term limit as House speaker, which limits speakers to two consecutive terms. On his campaign website, Hawkins described himself as a "Pro-Life. Pro-Gun. Pro-Trump. Conservative Republican."

Candidate information

  • Party: Republican
  • Age: 64
  • Residence: Wichita
  • Education: Associate's degree in business, Hutchinson Community College (1981); bachelor's degree in marketing, Emporia State University (1983), according to BallotReady
  • Military service: Staff sergeant, Kansas Army National Guard (1979–1991), according to BallotReady
  • 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, representing District 100, according to the Kansas Reflector. He served as House majority leader before becoming speaker in 2023. He also chaired the House Health Committee, according to his campaign website.

Outside the legislature, Hawkins worked as an agent at Mutual of New York (1995–1998) and National Farmers Union (1998–2001), according to BallotReady. He served as president of The Hawkins Group Inc. (2001–2023) and as an employee benefits consultant at Conrade Insurance Group (2023–2025). He said he and his father started their first business in 1991.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Hawkins' campaign website and BallotReady questionnaire responses. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Insurance regulation and consumer 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 said he is committed to making the Kansas Department of Insurance "the most taxpayer friendly state agency."

Insurance fraud: Hawkins said he would use the authority of the office to protect Kansans from insurance and securities fraud. Fraud drives up everyone's rates, he said.

Healthcare: Hawkins has been a staunch opponent of Medicaid expansion in Kansas, according to the Kansas Reflector. He claimed the effort to block expansion saved Kansas taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, the Reflector reported.

Taxes and budget: Hawkins said Kansas must become more competitive with border states by continuing to reform tax law, including income and property taxes, toward a flatter system.

Endorsements

The following endorsements were reported by BallotReady:

  • NFIB in Kansas
  • Kansas Chamber of Commerce

Candidate positions were drawn from Hawkins' campaign website and BallotReady questionnaire responses. The Olathe Daily Digest did not interview the candidate for this profile.