Insurer-backed ballot initiatives win in states.

After the midterm elections, most of the country's governors will be Democrats for the first time in a dozen years, while three of the most important state ballot initiatives for insurers went as the industry had hoped.

Few in the insurance industry were expecting anything different.

"There just weren't a lot of surprises as far as the state races and ballot initiatives go," said Wes Bissett, senior vice president for government affairs and state relations for the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.

Results of the Nov. 7 election have Democrats in charge in 28 of the country's governors' mansions, and the Republicans in 22. Democrats took six GOP seats, including that of incumbent Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. in Maryland.

The governor who will be watched most closely in upcoming weeks and months is former New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, now governor-elect of New York. Spitzer is a much-feared figure in the insurance industry, having put American International Group Inc. and Marsh & McLennan Cos. through probes two years ago that led to executive ousters and hundreds of millions of dollars in fines. As governor, Spitzer would appoint the state's next insurance commissioner.

In California, Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi narrowly won his race for lieutenant governor; in Florida, state Attorney General Charlie Crist, who enjoyed more than $700,000 in campaign donations from insurers, overwhelmed Democratic challenger Tom Davis.

Bissett of the Big "I" said there weren't any surprises among the elected commissioners' races, either. "With the open gubernatorial seats, there are going to be new commissioners appointed in weeks and months to come" said Bissett. "We just have to see how quickly they can come up to speed in what's happening legislatively and with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners."