Ben Allen

Candidate Response - 1 of 8

This article is part of a multi-part series introducing candidates who are running for the position of insurance commissioner in California. Eight candidates responded to three questions posed by Journalist Don Jergler.

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Democratic State Senator Ben 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.

Q: 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.

“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

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.

Q: 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.

Q: What separates you from the other candidates in the race?

Allen: When the Palisades Fire hit, it tore through the community where I’ve spent my life. While my home was spared, many friends and neighbors lost everything. I saw firsthand the gaps in coverage and the frustration families faced navigating claims. That experience has shaped how I approach this role.

In the Legislature, I’ve focused on practical reforms and opportunities. I have advanced funding through Proposition 4 to harden communities. I have advanced SB 894 to support home hardening through low-interest financing. I also led major, complex efforts like SB 54, a ground-breaking plastic pollution bill which required that I bring together industry, labor, environmental groups, and consumer advocates to get meaningful policy accomplished.

I know that experience will serve me in this role as Insurance Commissioner. This job requires someone who can work with all sides to stabilize the market while protecting consumers.

Compiled by Don Jergler, West Coast Editor of Insurance Journal