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 Angeles 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.

(Editor’s Note: This article was previously published by Insurance Journal, Carrier Management’s sister publication. Reporter Don Jergler is the West Coast editor of Insurance Journal.)

Among the insights they shared are those set forth below. Click on the candidate quote boxes to read more about each of them and their full responses.

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The Race for California Insurance Commissioner: Meet Ben Allen I will stabilize the insurance market by modernizing rate setting and streamlining rate review timelines so decisions are made within months, not years. Ben Allen

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The Race for California Insurance Commissioner: Meet Steve Bradford I bring a legislative record on environmental policy and consumer protection, but I also understand that a commissioner who treats the industry as an adversary will accomplish very little. Steve Bradford

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The Race for California Insurance Commissioner: Meet Keith Davis I'm not just talking about the industry. I've been living it... Right now, too many areas are labeled high-risk, forcing homeowners to pay higher prices even when their specific situation doesn't justify it. Keith Davis

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The Race for California Insurance Commissioner: Meet Merritt Farren I am the only candidate who has the senior level legal experience [and] the senior level business administration and tech experience that should be considered mandatory for this role. Merritt Farren

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The Race for California Insurance Commissioner: Meet Jane Kim Disaster Insurance for All would move the state away from the current dynamic where private carriers cherry-pick low-risk customers, raise their rates, and push high-risk properties onto the FAIR Plan. Jane Kim

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The Race for California Insurance Commissioner: Meet Stacy Korsgaden I am a nationally recognized insurance subject matter expert running for California Insurance Commissioner... For more than 37 years I have helped families and small businesses navigate complex insurance policies, devastating losses, and an increasingly broken regulatory system. Insurance is not theoretical to me, it is personal. Stacy Korsgaden

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The Race for California Insurance Commissioner: Meet Eduardo “Lalo” Vargas As Insurance Commissioner, I also pledge to deny all further rate hikes until insurance companies cease their exploitative business practices and pay the survivors of the Los Angeles fires the full compensation needed to rebuild and repair their homes. Eduardo "Lalo" Vargas

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The Race for California Insurance Commissioner: Meet Patrick Wolff My campaign is based on the radical idea that California's chief insurance regulator should be someone with deep insurance knowledge and understanding, who is totally focused just on doing the job—not a politician who knows nothing about insurance and is using the job as a political stepping stone. Patrick Wolff

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.