Democrat Nabilah Islam Parkes enters 2026 race for Insurance Commissioner
Georgia State Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes announced her campaign for insurance commissioner on Wednesday.
ATLANTA - Georgia State Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes announced her campaign for insurance commissioner on Wednesday.
The backstory:
Parkes, a Democrat who represents Georgia's 7th Senate District in Gwinnett County, is in her second term. She currently serves on several legislative committees, including Banking and Financial Institutions; Children and Families; Science and Technology; and Veterans, Military and Homeland Security.
What they're saying:
In her announcement, Parkes stated that Georgians are facing an "affordability crisis" regarding insurance costs.
"From health insurance to home and auto coverage, Georgia families are facing an affordability crisis on multiple fronts," Parkes said. "Premiums are skyrocketing, coverage is shrinking, claims are being denied, and too many families feel like they have nowhere to turn."
Parkes highlighted her personal history with the industry, noting that she previously sued her mother's insurance company following a workplace injury and won.
Dig deeper:
A Duluth resident, Parkes lives with her husband, Bryan, and their three children. She was raised in Norcross and Lawrenceville, graduated from Gwinnett County Public Schools and attended Georgia State University.
Local perspective:
Parkes is the first Democrat to challenge incumbent Insurance Commissioner John King, a Republican appointee of Gov. Brian Kemp who was elected to a full term in 2022. In her campaign launch video, Parkes labeled King a "puppet" for the insurance companies.
In a statement to FOX 5, Commissioner King's campaign said that Parkes is the puppet in the race.
The full statement reads, "Lol. Zohran Mamdani’s biggest fan can say whatever she wants but facts don’t lie: John King has fined insurance companies $42 million (with more on the way), recovered more than $100 million from insurance companies & sent it back to Georgia families, and is fighting to cap auto insurance providers’ excess profits. The only ‘puppet’ in this race is Sen. Islam Parkes, who supports whatever her left-wing donors tell her to."
What's next:
Election Day is Nov. 3.
The Source: Information in this article came from Parkes announcement email and video. It also includes research from FOX 5's Sam Daniel about Parkes using the Georgia Senate's website.