The Insurance Commissioner is California’s top insurance regulator, leading the California Department of Insurance (CDI) — the consumer protection agency for the nation’s largest insurance marketplace. Created in 1868, the CDI oversees more than 1,600 insurance companies and licenses more than 510,000 agents, brokers, adjusters, and business entities. The office became an independently elected statewide position in 1988 under Proposition 103, which also gave the Commissioner authority to require prior approval of property and casualty insurance rates.
The Insurance Commissioner’s responsibilities include:
- Protecting Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory.
- Overseeing insurer solvency to ensure companies can pay claims.
- Setting standards for agent and broker licensing and conducting market conduct reviews of insurance companies.
- Investigating and resolving more than 56,000 consumer complaints annually, recovering more than $130 million per year for consumers.
- Investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud, with hundreds of criminal investigations and thousands of arrests each year.
- Reviewing thousands of rate applications annually and approving or rejecting proposed premium changes for homeowners and auto insurance.
Race Synopsis
The 2026 race for Insurance Commissioner is one of the most consequential on the California ballot, driven by a deepening crisis in which insurers have canceled policies, raised premiums sharply, and exited the California market in the wake of catastrophic wildfires. Incumbent Ricardo Lara is term-limited and not seeking re-election. Key themes in the race include:
- Democrat Ben Allen, a state senator whose district was devastated by the 2025 Palisades Fire, centers his campaign on market stabilization, fire mitigation partnerships, and greater transparency from insurers — backed by the state’s establishment Democratic leadership.
- Democrat Steven Bradford, a former state senator and assemblymember, emphasizes a collaborative, problem-solving approach, proposing a public-private risk-sharing partnership to keep insurers in the market while protecting working families and communities of color.
- Democrat Jane Kim, former San Francisco Supervisor and California Working Families Party director, proposes the most sweeping changes in the field — including a publicly run Disaster Insurance for All program modeled on systems in New Zealand and France, and a public auto insurance option.
- Republican Stacy Korsgaden, an insurance agent who previously ran against Commissioner Lara in 2022, approaches the role as a watchdog — proposing a consumer rights bill of rights, new insurance products, and anti-fraud enforcement to reduce costs.
The June 2, 2026 primary is a top-two contest; the two highest vote-getters advance to the November 3, 2026 general election regardless of party. – CalMatters
Major Candidates
Ben Allen (D)
Steven Bradford (D)
Jane Kim (D)
Stacy Korsgaden (R)
Frank Lara (PFP)
Media Coverage
CalMatters Voter Guide – Insurance Commissioner
CalMatters: Your Guide to the Candidates
Capitol Weekly: Meet the Candidates Series
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