The race for California insurance commissioner pits two Democrats against each other: former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim and state Sen. Ben Allen. The San Francisco Standard calls it the only competitive statewide race this election.

What the job does

The commissioner approves premium rates for home, auto and commercial coverage in the nation’s largest property and casualty market, CalMatters notes. KALW reports California is one of only 11 states that elect the post. As wildfire risk has grown, major insurers have restricted or stopped writing new policies, pushing more homeowners onto the FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort.

Jane Kim’s plan

Kim, a civil rights attorney who served on the Board of Supervisors from 2011 to 2019, wants “natural disaster insurance for all.” It would be a mandatory state-run program that takes wildfire risk out of private homeowners policies and sets its own rates. She would also require companies that sell auto insurance in California to offer homeowners coverage, expand the state’s low-cost auto program and penalize insurers that delay claims. Sen. Bernie Sanders backs her.

Consumer Watchdog president Jamie Court, whose group has not endorsed, told the Standard the state-run plan’s “numbers don’t add up” and questioned where startup capital would come from.

Ben Allen’s plan

Allen, endorsed by the state Democratic Party, wants to keep private insurers in place while changing the rules. He has pledged to cut rate reviews from years to months, build on rules allowing wildfire catastrophe modeling in rate filings, set fire-hardening standards to lower premiums and restore disclosure of insurers’ fossil fuel investments. CalMatters reports he would require real-time reporting of claim delays and add staff for consumer complaints. He wrote the $10 billion climate bond voters passed in 2024.

Where the race stands

Kim finished first in the June primary with 26.8% to Allen’s 19.6%. The Standard reported two recent polls showed most voters undecided. Kim says she has never taken checks from insurers; Allen notes a committee backing Kim took $50,000 from PG&E. For outside spending in the race, see our earlier report.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.