2026 California Insurance Commissioner election
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November 3, 2026
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The 2026 California Insurance Commissioner election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the insurance commissioner of California. Incumbent Democratic insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election to a third term.
A nonpartisan blanket primary was held on June 2, 2026, with state senator Ben Allen and former San Francisco County supervisor Jane Kim advancing to the general election.
Candidates
[edit]Democratic Party
[edit]Advanced to general
[edit]- Ben Allen, state senator from the 24th district (2014–present)[1]
- Jane Kim, former executive director of the California Working Families Party, former San Francisco supervisor from the 6th district (2011–2019), runner-up for California's 11th senate district in 2016, and candidate for mayor of San Francisco in 2018[2]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Steven Bradford, former state senator from the 35th district (2016–2024)[3] (previously ran for lieutenant governor)[4]
- Patrick Wolff, chess grandmaster and financial analyst[1]
Declined
[edit]- Mike McGuire, President pro tempore of the California State Senate (2024–present) from the 2nd district (2014–present) (running for U.S. House, endorsed Allen)[5][6]
Republican Party
[edit]Eliminated in primary
[edit]American Independent Party
[edit]Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Keith Davis, insurance agent[7]
Peace and Freedom Party
[edit]Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Eduardo "Lalo" Vargas, high school teacher and candidate for Los Angeles's 14th City Council district in 2024[12]
Primary election
[edit]Endorsements
[edit]Ben Allen (D)
- U.S. senators
- Alex Padilla, California (2021–present)[13]
- Adam Schiff, California (2024–present)[1]
- U.S. representatives
- Nanette Barragán, CA-44 (2017–present)[14]
- Julia Brownley, CA-26 (2013–present)[14]
- Laura Friedman, CA-30 (2025–present)[14]
- George Whitesides, CA-27 (2025–present)[14]
- Statewide officials
- Dave Jones, former insurance commissioner of California (2011–2019)[15]
- State legislators
- Jesse Gabriel, AD-46 (2018–present)[14]
- Lena Gonzalez, majority leader of the California Senate (2024–present) from SD-33 (2019–present)[14]
- Monique Limón, SD-21 (2020–present)[1]
- Mike McGuire, SD-02 (2014–present)[1]
- Robert Rivas, speaker of the California State Assembly (2023–present) from AD-29 (2018–present)[1]
- Tom Umberg, SD-34 (2018–present)[14]
- 36 other state legislators[14]
- Labor unions
- California Federation of Teachers (co-endorsement with Kim)[16]
- UFCW Western States Council (co-endorsement with Kim)[17]
- Organizations
- Newspapers
Steven Bradford (D)
- U.S. representatives
- Statewide officials
- Fiona Ma, treasurer of California (2019–present)[25]
- Shirley Weber, secretary of state of California (2021–present)[24]
- Local officials
- Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles (2022–present)[26]
- Labor unions
- California Correctional Peace Officers Association[27]
- California State Building and Construction Trades Council[28]
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters California[29]
- Newspapers
Jane Kim (D)
- U.S. senators
- Bernie Sanders, Vermont (2007–present) (Independent)[2]
- U.S. representatives
- Statewide officials
- Malia Cohen, state controller of California (2023-present)[31]
- Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California (2019–present)[32]
- Local officials
- Yesenia Muñeton, member of the Garden Grove City Council for the 5th district
- Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor, 2nd district (2023–present)[33]
- Labor unions
- California Faculty Association[34]
- California Federation of Teachers (co-endorsement with Allen)[35]
- California Teachers Association[35]
- National Union of Healthcare Workers[2]
- SEIU California[35]
- SEIU United Healthcare Workers West[36]
- United Auto Workers Region 6 [37]
- UFCW Western States Council (co-endorsement with Allen)[17]
- Organizations
- California Working Families Party[35]
- California Young Democrats[38]
- Knock LA[39]
- Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club[40]
- National Women's Political Caucus[33]
- Orange County Young Democrats[33]
- Our Revolution[41]
- San Diego Democrats for Equality[42]
- Newspapers
Stacy Korsgaden (R)
- State legislators
- Brian Jones, minority leader of the California State Senate (2022–present) from SD-40 (2018–present)[26]
- Political parties
Patrick Wolff (D)
- Newspapers
Eduardo Vargas (PFP)
- Political parties
Polling
[edit]No independent public polls were released during the primary. A poll commissioned by the Insurance Fairness Project found that 62% of likely voters said they were very concerned about the cost of home insurance, and 43% said they had no confidence that California's insurance system could withstand future extreme weather disasters.[50]
According to a May 2026 internal poll from the Wolff campaign, cited by Politico, Kim held a slight lead over other candidates among decided voters ahead of the June 2 primary.[51]
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[c] |
Margin of error |
Ben Allen (D) |
Jane Kim (D) |
Steven Bradford (D) |
Robert Howell (R) |
Eduardo Vargas (PF) |
Patrick Wolff (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probolsky Research/Allen internal[52] | September 6–11, 2025 | 1000 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 10% | not polled | 5% | 22% | 5% | 5% | 52% |
| Lake Research Partners/Kim internal[53] | December 11–16, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 5% | 10% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 51% |
| FM3 Research/Wolff internal[54] | March 9–16, 2026 | 637 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 8% | 9% | 1% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 50% |
Results
[edit]
Kim
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
Allen
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
Korsgaden
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
Howell
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jane Kim | 2,328,836 | 27.40 | |
| Democratic | Ben Allen | 1,649,501 | 19.41 | |
| Republican | Stacy A. Korsgaden | 1,320,966 | 15.54 | |
| Republican | Robert P. Howell | 649,093 | 7.64 | |
| Democratic | Patrick Wolff | 615,069 | 7.24 | |
| Republican | Merritt Farren | 570,669 | 6.71 | |
| Republican | Sean Lee | 458,056 | 5.39 | |
| Democratic | Steven Bradford | 416,998 | 4.91 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Eduardo "Lalo" Vargas | 248,039 | 2.92 | |
| Republican | Eric Thor Aarnio | 158,603 | 1.87 | |
| American Independent | Keith W. Davis | 83,994 | 0.99 | |
| Total votes | 8,499,824 | 100.0 | ||
General election
[edit]Post-primary endorsements
[edit]Ben Allen (D)
- Political parties
Jane Kim (D)
- Individuals
- Dolores Huerta, labor leader[57]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Allen | ||||
| Democratic | Jane Kim | ||||
| Total votes | |||||
| Democratic hold | |||||
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ The Sacramento Bee, The Modesto Bee, The Fresno Bee, Merced Sun-Star, and The Tribune
- ↑ Daily Breeze, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Press-Telegram, Los Angeles Daily News, Orange County Register, Pasadena Star-News, Redlands Daily Facts, The Press-Enterprise , The San Bernardino Sun, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and Whittier Daily News
- ↑ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jones, Blake (September 16, 2025). "Ben Allen launches bid for California insurance commissioner". Politico. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (January 21, 2026). "Newsom takes his Trump-bashing to the Swiss Alps". Politico. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (May 29, 2025). "SCOOP: McGuire plans to stay until 2026". Politico. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
- ↑ Korte, Lara (April 15, 2024). "State Sen. Steven Bradford launches 2026 campaign for California lieutenant governor". Politico.
- ↑ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake; Mason, Melanie (September 16, 2025). "Why the 'Governator' could derail Prop 50". Politico. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- ↑ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (November 13, 2025). "Gavin Newsom's bad news day". Politico. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- 1 2 "2026 California Primary Notice to Candidates - Insurance Commissioner" (PDF). California Secretary of State. March 21, 2026.
- ↑ Pascoe, Sue (March 4, 2026). "Running for Insurance Commissioner, Merritt Farren Knows the Game". Circling The News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Who's running for California Insurance Commissioner? Here's a look at the field of candidates". CalMatters. February 17, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ↑ Lynch, Joan (August 5, 2025). "Former SLO County supervisor candidate announces run for statewide office". San Luis Obispo Tribune. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ↑ "State Voter Information Guide Statement - Sean Lee" (PDF). California Secretary of State.
- ↑ Hoeven, Emily (August 28, 2025). "California socialist pledges to 'save our planet from capitalism.' Can he win this statewide race?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ↑ "The California reckoning after Cesar Chavez's fall". POLITICO. March 23, 2026. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (December 17, 2025). "Meet the crypto billionaire hedging his bets for governor". Politico. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ↑ Jones, Blake; Gardiner, Dustin; Mason, Melanie (February 19, 2026). "Newsom's multi-tasking book tour". Politico. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ↑ "CFT Endorsements" (PDF). Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- 1 2 "UFCW Western States Council 2026 Candidate Endorsements". UFCW Votes. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 EnviroVoters Endorsement List". California Environmental Voters. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
- ↑ Sumagaysay, Levi (June 9, 2026). "California insurance commissioner race is set: Kim vs. Allen". CalMatters. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- 1 2 "Endorsement: Elect Ben Allen California's next insurance commissioner". The Mercury News. May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Editorial: Por Ben Allen para Comisionado de Seguros de California". La Opinión (in Spanish). May 27, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- ↑ "PD Editorial: Ben Allen is the best pick to be California's next insurance commissioner". The Press Democrat. May 22, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (January 26, 2026). "Another killing in Minneapolis sharpens SF DA's warning". Politico. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Sumagaysay, Levi (April 27, 2026). "Who wants to be California's insurance commissioner? Your guide to the candidates". CalMatters. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- ↑ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (June 9, 2025). "Major escalations in LA as Newsom, Trump fight over Guard troops". Politico. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- 1 2 Darmiento, Laurence (May 1, 2026). "Your guide to the California insurance commissioner's race: Who will replace Ricardo Lara?". Los Angeles times. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake; He, Eric (February 10, 2026). "Teachers strike grips San Francisco". Politico. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
- ↑ Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (December 15, 2025). "California Democrats have a big math problem". Politico. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
- ↑ Teamsters California [@teamsterscalifornia] (September 13, 2025). "We are proud to endorse Steven Bradford for California Insurance Commissioner". Retrieved September 19, 2025 – via Instagram.
- ↑ "The Ballot: Who We're Recommending For on June 2". Sun-Reporter. May 12, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ Greschler, Gabe; Li, Han; Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Joe (March 23, 2026). "Lurie-Linked PAC gets rolling. Plus: Former supervisors' sisterhood". The San Francisco Standard.
- ↑ Li, Han (April 20, 2026). "Even Jane Kim thinks her run for Calif. insurance commissioner is a head-scratcher". The San Francisco Standard. Retrieved April 27, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Endorsements
- ↑ "Endorsements". Retrieved March 25, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Gardiner, Dustin; Jones, Blake (January 27, 2026). "Republicans navigate Alex Pretti's killing". Politico. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
- ↑ "SEIU-UHW 2026 Primary Election Endorsements". SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. Archived from the original on February 8, 2026. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ "California — UAW Region 6". UAW Region 6. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Endorsements". California Young Democrats. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ↑ The Knock LA Progressive Voter Guide for the June 2026 Primary Election
- ↑ "Endorsements June 2026 Primary Endorsement Process". Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Jane Kim for California Insurance Commissioner". Our Revolution. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Endorsements". San Diego Democrats for Equality. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Editorial: Recommendations for CA offices". Bay Area Reporter. May 6, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ Redmond, Tim (May 6, 2026). "Endorsements for the June 2 election". San Francisco Bay Guardian. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ City, News Service (April 12, 2026). "State Republicans fail to endorse candidate for governor". ABC10 News San Diego. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Read McClatchy Media's endorsement for California's insurance commissioner | Opinion". The Sacramento Bee. May 3, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Endorsement: Insurance commissioner might be the toughest job in California. Patrick Wolff is up for it". San Francisco Chronicle. May 2, 2026. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Endorsement: Patrick Wolff for California insurance commissioner". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. April 26, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- 1 2 "Left Unity has begun for the June 2026 primary election". December 18, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ↑ "New Poll: California Voters Concerned with Home Insurance – and Strongly Support Reform Measures". Insurance Fairness Project. March 27, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ Von Kaenel, Camille (May 19, 2026). "Big money, bigger insurance fight". Politico. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ "California OmnibusInsurance Commissioner". Probolsky Research. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ↑ David Mermin, Bob Meadow, and Connor Olio (December 19, 2025). New Polling Shows Jane Kim a Leading Contender in CA Insurance Commissioner Race (Report). Lake Research Partners.
{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Lucia Del Puppo and Suzanne Brewster (April 8, 2026). Statewide Survey Assessing the Race for Insurance Commissioner (Report). FM3 Research.
- ↑ "Primary Election * June 2, 2026 - STATEMENT OF VOTE" (PDF). California Secretary of State. July 10, 2026. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 11, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Insurance Commissioner - Statewide Results". California Secretary of State. June 2, 2026. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
- 1 2 "California Democrats back Ben Allen for insurance commissioner". The Bee. August 2, 2026. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
External links
[edit]Official campaign websites