Surging Insurance Rates Put Spotlight on Race for State Auditor

With some studies finding that home insurance rates have ballooned 44% in Montana over the past five years, the affordability and availability of insurance have become cornerstone issues in the state auditor election.

James Brown, a Republican currently serving as president of Montana’s utility board, is squaring off against John Repke, a Democrat and retired businessman, for the open seat to become Montana’s top consumer watchdog.

Whoever wins the election on Nov. 5 will assume the helm of an agency with a $10 million budget and a 72-employee payroll oriented primarily toward regulating the i...