John Ingram (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Randolph Ingram is a retired American
Democratic
politician, attorney, and insurance commissioner
. He served as North Carolina
's Commissioner of Insurance
from 1973 until 1985, and ran repeatedly for other state-wide offices in his later career.
Born in Greensboro, North Carolina
, Ingram attended Asheboro High School
. He graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration at the University of North Carolina School of Business in 1951. He earned his Juris Doctor
from University of North Carolina School of Law
in 1954, and practiced as an attorney, serving on the board of directors of the North Carolina Bar Association.
He first ran for election to represent Randolph County
in the North Carolina House of Representatives
in 1960, but lost. He ran for the state House again, winning in 1970, and served for one term, during which he introduced the bill reducing the voting age
to 18 in North Carolina, and also agitated for auto insurance
reform. He won his post as Commissioner of Insurance in 1972.
In that role, Ingram was known as a populist
and was the most controversial holder of the office since its creation in 1899. He won re-election in 1976 and 1980. He considered the abolition of assigned risk
for young drivers to be the highlight of his career as Commissioner. Throughout his tenure, he consistently rejected insurance rate increases, although these were overturned by appellate courts in 32 of 33 cases. This brought him into conflict with the General Assembly
, which, in 1977, stripped the Commissioner's office of its rate-capping powers.
Ingram was eccentric: often firing aides and deputies, including successor Jim Long
, and holding meetings in parking garages
over fears his office was bugged. Ingram's office administration was unconventional and sloppy; one of Ingram's aides was jailed, and, upon leaving office, Ingram's replacements found boxes of documents in a dumpster
outside the department's office. When he left office, Jim Long made a point of symbolically breaking with his maverick predecessor.
Ingram ran for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate
in 1978, 1986, and 1990. He won the Democratic nomination in the second ballot in the 1978 election
against the banker Luther H. Hodges, Jr.
, who outspent him by $1.7m to only $50,000. In the general election, against the Republican
incumbent Jesse Helms
, he was abandoned by the state Democrats, who favoured the pro-establishment Hodges and the conservative Helms, and was outspent by 30 to 1 by his opponent. Consequently, he lost to Helms by 55% to 45%. He ran for the position of Governor of North Carolina
in 1984, to replace Jim Hunt
, who stepped down to challenge Helms for the Senate. However, in the primary election
, Ingram finished fifth in a crowded field, with 9% of the vote.
In 1986
, Terry Sanford
won the nomination on the first ballot, with Ingram coming second, with 16% of the vote. Ingram came third in the 1990 primary
, with 17%, behind Harvey Gantt
and Mike Easley
. In these later races, Ingram was known to focus primarily to issues of insurance
. In the 1990 election, at first, Ingram refused to answer questions about any other topic, focusing on health insurance
. However, he was known as pro-choice
, and favoured federal funding of abortion
for poor victims of rape
and incest
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician, attorney, and insurance commissioner
Insurance commissioner
Insurance commissioner is an executive office in many U.S. states, some in the state cabinet. The office differs state by state:...
. He served as North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
's Commissioner of Insurance
North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance
The North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance regulates the insurance industry in North Carolina, licenses insurance professionals in the state, educates consumers about different types of insurance, and handles consumer complaints...
from 1973 until 1985, and ran repeatedly for other state-wide offices in his later career.
Born in Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, Ingram attended Asheboro High School
Asheboro High School
Asheboro High School is a high school in the Asheboro City Schools system of Asheboro, North Carolina, United States.- Overview :Asheboro High School is the only high school in the Asheboro City Schools District. The current campus was constructed between 1949 and 1959, with a major addition to the...
. He graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration at the University of North Carolina School of Business in 1951. He earned his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from University of North Carolina School of Law
University of North Carolina School of Law
The University of North Carolina School of Law is a professional school within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the nation and is the oldest law school in North Carolina. It is consistently ranked in the top-tier...
in 1954, and practiced as an attorney, serving on the board of directors of the North Carolina Bar Association.
He first ran for election to represent Randolph County
Randolph County, North Carolina
-Notable people:*Naomi Wise, murder victim*Richard Petty - Nascar driver.*Lee Petty - Nascar pioneer. Richard Petty's father.*Kyle Petty - Nascar driver. Son of Richard Petty*Adam Petty - Nascar driver. Kyle Petty's son...
in the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
in 1960, but lost. He ran for the state House again, winning in 1970, and served for one term, during which he introduced the bill reducing the voting age
Voting age
A voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain to be eligible to vote in a public election.The vast majority of countries in the world have established a voting age. Most governments consider that those of any age lower than the chosen threshold lack the necessary...
to 18 in North Carolina, and also agitated for auto insurance
Vehicle insurance
Vehicle insurance is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise therefrom...
reform. He won his post as Commissioner of Insurance in 1972.
In that role, Ingram was known as a populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
and was the most controversial holder of the office since its creation in 1899. He won re-election in 1976 and 1980. He considered the abolition of assigned risk
Assigned risk
Assigned risk means a driver of a motor vehicle, or a class of such drivers, who would be denied insurance coverage by insurance companies, but are required to be covered under U.S. state law...
for young drivers to be the highlight of his career as Commissioner. Throughout his tenure, he consistently rejected insurance rate increases, although these were overturned by appellate courts in 32 of 33 cases. This brought him into conflict with the General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
, which, in 1977, stripped the Commissioner's office of its rate-capping powers.
Ingram was eccentric: often firing aides and deputies, including successor Jim Long
James E. Long
James Eugene "Jim" Long was the North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance from 1985 through 2009 retiring as the senior Democratic member of the North Carolina Council of State...
, and holding meetings in parking garages
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
over fears his office was bugged. Ingram's office administration was unconventional and sloppy; one of Ingram's aides was jailed, and, upon leaving office, Ingram's replacements found boxes of documents in a dumpster
Dumpster (term)
A dumpster is a large steel waste receptacle designed to be emptied into garbage trucks. The word is a genericized trademark of Dumpster, a American brand name for a type of mobile garbage bin...
outside the department's office. When he left office, Jim Long made a point of symbolically breaking with his maverick predecessor.
Ingram ran for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1978, 1986, and 1990. He won the Democratic nomination in the second ballot in the 1978 election
United States Senate election in North Carolina, 1978
The North Carolina United States Senate election of 1978 was held on 7 November 1978 as part of the nation-wide elections to the Senate. The general election was fought between the Republican incumbent Jesse Helms and the Democrat nominee John Ingram. Helms won re-election, by a slightly wider...
against the banker Luther H. Hodges, Jr.
Luther H. Hodges, Jr.
Luther Hartwell Hodges Jr. is a retired American Democratic politician and banker. He was the first United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce , appointed under Jimmy Carter. Previously Under Secretary of Commerce, he had been tipped to replace Juanita M...
, who outspent him by $1.7m to only $50,000. In the general election, against the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
incumbent Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
, he was abandoned by the state Democrats, who favoured the pro-establishment Hodges and the conservative Helms, and was outspent by 30 to 1 by his opponent. Consequently, he lost to Helms by 55% to 45%. He ran for the position of Governor of North Carolina
Governor of North Carolina
The Governor of North Carolina is the chief executive of the State of North Carolina, one of the U.S. states. The current governor is Bev Perdue, North Carolina's first female governor.-Powers:...
in 1984, to replace Jim Hunt
Jim Hunt
James Baxter Hunt Jr. is an American politician who was the 69th and 71st Governor of the state of North Carolina . He is the longest-serving governor in the state's history.-Early life:...
, who stepped down to challenge Helms for the Senate. However, in the primary election
North Carolina gubernatorial election, 1984
The North Carolina gubernatorial election of 1984 was held on November 6, 1984. Popular Democratic incumbent Jim Hunt was unable to run for another term and ran instead for the Senate against Jesse Helms and lost. Popular 9th District Congressman James G. Martin ran as the Republican nominee...
, Ingram finished fifth in a crowded field, with 9% of the vote.
In 1986
United States Senate election in North Carolina, 1986
The 1986 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 8, 1986 as part of the nation-wide elections to the Senate. Incumbent Republican U.S...
, Terry Sanford
Terry Sanford
James Terry Sanford was a United States politician and educator from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford was the 65th Governor of North Carolina , a two-time U.S. Presidential candidate in the 1970s and a U.S. Senator...
won the nomination on the first ballot, with Ingram coming second, with 16% of the vote. Ingram came third in the 1990 primary
United States Senate election in North Carolina, 1990
The North Carolina United States Senate election of 1990 was held on 6 November 1990 as part of the nation-wide elections to the Senate. The general election was fought between the Republican incumbent Jesse Helms and the Democrat nominee Mayor of Charlotte Harvey Gantt...
, with 17%, behind Harvey Gantt
Harvey Gantt
Harvey Bernard Gantt is an American architect and Democratic politician active in North Carolina. He was Mayor of Charlotte from 1983 to 1987, and ran twice for the United States Senate....
and Mike Easley
Mike Easley
Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...
. In these later races, Ingram was known to focus primarily to issues of insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
. In the 1990 election, at first, Ingram refused to answer questions about any other topic, focusing on health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
. However, he was known as pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
, and favoured federal funding of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
for poor victims of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
.