Daniel Hawkins is a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing District 100. He assumed office on January 14, 2013. His current term ends on January 11, 2027. Hawkins became speaker of the house in 2023. A ruled passed in 2023 limited speakers to only serving two consecutive terms. Hawkins said part of his decision to run for insurance commissioner in 2026 was based on that rule. "I think once you become Speaker, you've got four years, do everything you can in those four years, and then move on. And I'm going to abide by that tradition," he said. Hawkins earned an associate degree in business from Hutchison Community College in 1981, a bachelor's degree in marketing from Emporia State University in 1983, and the chartered life underwriter (CLU) designation in 2000. He was a staff sergeant in the Kansas Army National Guard, retiring in 1991. He later worked as an insurance agent for Mutual of New York and National Farmers Union before launching his insurance agency, Hawkins Group, Inc., in 2001. He was on the board of directors for the Make-a-Wish Foundation in Kansas for six years.
