Daniel Hawkins, a Wichita insurance agent who has served as Kansas House speaker since 2023, is running as a Republican for insurance commissioner in the Nov. 3, 2026, election.
He faces two opponents. Democrat Dinah Sykes and Libertarian Ric Koehn are also in the race, according to BallotReady.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Residence: Wichita
- Education: Associate degree in business from Hutchinson Community College (1981); bachelor's degree in marketing from 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 has worked in the insurance industry for three decades, specializing in employee benefits, the Kansas Reflector reported. 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.
Hawkins said on his campaign website that he and his father started their first business in 1991.
He was first elected to the Kansas House in 2012, representing District 100. He served as House majority leader starting in 2019, according to his campaign website. He became House speaker in 2023 and reached his term limit in that role, which limits speakers to two consecutive terms, the Kansas Reflector reported.
Hawkins said on his campaign website that he also chaired the House Health Committee.
On the issues
The following positions are from Hawkins' campaign website and BallotReady responses. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.
Insurance regulation and consumer protection: Hawkins said on his campaign website that during his time working in employee benefits, he saw that one reason Kansans pay high insurance costs is a lack of options. He said he would eliminate red tape and excessive regulations that keep potential options out of Kansas. He also said he would use the office's authority to protect Kansans from insurance and securities fraud, arguing that fraud drives up rates for everyone.
Hawkins said he is committed to making the Kansas Department of Insurance "the most taxpayer friendly state agency."
Healthcare: Hawkins has opposed Medicaid expansion throughout his legislative career, the Kansas Reflector reported. The Reflector reported that Hawkins has said he led the effort to prevent expansion of the Affordable Care Act in Kansas for over a decade, claiming the effort saved Kansas taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
Taxes and budget: Hawkins said Kansas must become more competitive with border states and states such as Texas by continuing to reform tax law, including income tax and property tax. He said the state should consider flat tax and fair tax alternatives.
General platform: Hawkins describes himself on his campaign website as "Pro-Life. Pro-Gun. Pro-Trump. Conservative Republican." He said he supports President Trump's agenda and would serve as a vocal ally.
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 his BallotReady questionnaire responses. The Wichita Ledger did not interview the candidate for this profile.
