California primary 2026: Who is leading in the insurance commissioner race?
Two Democrats pulled ahead in early returns in the race to be California’s next insurance commissioner, which would set up a battle of competing visions in November for what has become one of the state’s most scrutinized jobs.
Jane Kim, who was previously a San Francisco supervisor, was leading all candidates with roughly 24.1% of the vote as of about 10 p.m.
“We’re feeling very optimistic,” she said in a phone interview.
Kim has called for creating a public disaster insurance program and advocated for preventing companies from raising rates after someone files a home or auto insurance claim. Both of which would be major changes for the state’s current insurance market.
“Voters are starving for a candidate that’s going to champion taking on the status quo and fighting for affordability across the state of Californian,” Kim said.
State Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat from Santa Monica, was in second with 20.2% of the vote. He has called for less dramatic changes in his campaign, including speeding up the time it takes to review requests by insurance companies to change their rates and expanding programs that help residents make their homes more fire-resistant.
“I look forward to it,” he said of the potential to face Kim in November. “It will be good to have a robust policy discussion about how to improve the system for people.”
Stacy Korsgaden, a Republican financial adviser, was in third with 17.4% of the vote.
Most Californians likely can’t name the state’s current insurance commissioner or many of the 11 candidates who vied for the role. But whoever goes on to replace Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will face a major challenge in trying to alleviate California’s homeowner insurance woes.
Companies have hiked rates and slashed polices in recent years leaving Californians across the state searching for relief from their insurance leader. The insurance carriers have also pointed fingers at Lara and the Department of Insurance, which the commissioner leads, for what they say are delays in reviewing potential rate increases which has led them to pull back their business.
Lara unveiled a series of changes during his tenure in response to those and other issues, but many Californians are still struggling to find coverage. The number of people who now receive fire insurance coverage from the California FAIR Plan, a state-created but private backup insurance provider, has grown dramatically since Lara took over the job in 2019. There have also been several large, destructive wildfires in that time period.
Trade groups representing major insurance homeowner and auto insurance companies did not publicly endorse candidates in the race. Kim was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, State Controller Malia Cohen and others.
Allen’s endorsements included California’s U.S. senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla.
What was one of the hardest jobs in California politics was made even more difficult by the widespread fires in the Los Angeles area last year. Many people whose homes were damaged or destroyed fought their insurance companies over their claims, fueling frustration with carriers and also Lara.
A Department of Insurance investigation accused State Farm of mishandling claims, but many fire survivors say the agency has not been tough enough.
“We need a functioning insurance system in this state, and that means insurance that is available and that also means insurance that is accountable,” said Joy Chen, executive director of the Every Fire Survivor’s Network, a group that emerged after the L.A. fires. “I see those as the two primary jobs of this insurance commissioner role.”
The department’s responsibilities go well beyond homeowner policies. The agency also regulates automobile, health and a range of other coverages. It licenses agents and brokers, responds to complaints and investigates allegations of insurance fraud and company conduct.
