The race for the California Insurance Commissioner post has drawn 11 candidates covering several parties, and backgrounds that include two insurance agents, a former broker, a state legislator and a former state legislator.
Addressing the state’s “insurance crisis,” which took on a bigger priority following the devastating January 2025 Los Angles Wildfires, is a loud message coming from most of the field.
All candidates appear on the same ballot in the June 2 primary election, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election on Nov. 3.
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Incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who is term-limited after serving two terms, has not made known any next steps in his political career.
Insurance Journal sought out all the candidates in the race and asked them to answer three questions addressing our insurance professional audience. All replies were received via email from the candidate or the campaign staff. Answers have been lightly edited for brevity, clarity and typos.
Not all candidates responded to multiple requests for comments, though they are on the Secretary of State’s official list as candidates. California elections codes do not let candidates who have filed nomination documents for state offices withdraw those documents, so all candidates will appear on the June 2 primary ballot.
Candidates who are on the list but who did not respond to requests for comment were: Eric Thor Aarnio, R., contractor; Sean Robert Howell, R., cybersecurity CEO; and Sean Lee, R., financial services executive.
Allen has served as a member of the California state Senate since 2014. His plans include restoring a competitive insurance market, ensuring people are treated fairly after disasters and building resilient communities.
Insurance Journal: How do you feel about the direction of the state’s insurance market?
Allen: California’s insurance system is at a crossroads. To restore a solvent, competitive marketplace while keeping rates fair and affordable, we must strike the right balance between protecting consumers and ensuring insurers can sustainably operate in the state.
I will stabilize the insurance market by modernizing rate setting and streamlining rate review timelines so decisions are made within months, not years. I want to keep insurers in California and be able to write policies people can afford.
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I will champion a state-wide fire resilience plan that educates home and business owners about what they can do to safeguard their property. I will expand grants and financing so they can do it. And I will be the leader California needs to execute neighborhood-scale programs that increase community resiliency and bring down insurance rates. My plan for Fire Mitigation Partnerships, SB 1297, brings together insurers, utilities, local governments and community organizations to pool resources and improve community-scale hardening efforts. We cannot solve this problem in silos. As insurance commissioner, I will direct the big picture.
IJ: What changes will you make if you are elected to the insurance commissioner post that our readers should know about?
Allen: The Department of Insurance needs to be more responsive, more transparent and better equipped for the realities of climate risk.
I would make a few immediate changes. First, I would expand our on-the-ground claims support during disasters. Right now, we have roughly three dozen claims specialists statewide. That’s not enough. When communities are hit, the (CDI) should be there in real time, helping people navigate claims and making sure insurers are meeting their obligations.
Second, I would bring more predictability to the rate review process. We need to resolve filings in months, not years, with clear timelines and consistent standards, while maintaining the core consumer protections of Proposition 103.
Third, I support the responsible use of forward-looking catastrophe models, with transparency and strong oversight, so rates better reflect risk.
