Choosing California's Next Insurance Commissioner

You will see a race on your ballot this fall that directly affects what you pay for home and auto insurance, and whether you can find coverage at all. Most people know very little about it. This guide lays out the facts so you can decide for yourself.

We do not endorse any candidate. This document aligns with our agency's core value of continuous learning. We actively seek opportunities to learn from experts and experience to support our clients in making better risk management decisions. We hope you will find it helpful as you prepare to cast your ballot in the upcoming election, and we invite you to share it as you wish.

The basics

• An elected office: The California Insurance Commissioner is an elected position. California is one of only 11 U.S. states that elects this position rather than appointing it.
• Term limits: Each term is 4 years, with a maximum of 2 terms. The winner of the 2026 election will take office in January 2027.
• The candidates: Two candidates are running in the 2026 election, State Senator Ben Allen and former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim. They were the top two finishers out of 11 candidates in the June primary (Kim about 27%, Allen about 19%).

What the commissioner can and cannot do

We recommend viewing the CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide to learn more about each candidate's professional background, proposed solutions and platform. CalMatters is nonpartisan and highly reputable as a trusted resource.

https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/insurance-commissioner/

Real talk

How insurance works

Insurance is a unique shared economic model. Insurance companies convert localized, unpredictable financial catastrophes into predictable and manageable costs. Consumers pay premiums that are pooled and invested to ensure that when claims are filed, there is enough money to repair the damages incurred. Carriers use data to quantify the likelihood and cost of claims among all of their clients, and then charge premiums accordingly.

The high ideal of insurance is two-fold:

• Sharing costs lowers them. By sharing these costs, consumers generally pay much less in premium than the cost of a catastrophic claim they may file. For example, a homeowner may pay $45,000 in home insurance premiums over 15 years, but receive $450,000 in one claim.
• Cash is available when it is needed. This strategy is designed so that money is available to those who need it, when they need it. It would be an extremely rare event for all clients of one carrier to suffer a catastrophic loss at the same time.

Carriers, whether state-run or private, include their own operating costs in the premiums they charge.

Carriers invest the premiums clients pay rather than holding them as cash, and even large reserves can be strained by a single major catastrophe. So carriers buy their own insurance, called reinsurance. A reinsurer takes on a share of the carrier's catastrophe risk, and when a major event hits, the reinsurer pays its share of the claims. This helps the carrier pay policyholders quickly and stay financially stable. Reinsurance is a necessity, its cost regularly increases, and that cost is factored into the premiums clients pay.

What no commissioner can change overnight

• Prices have been rising for real reasons. Wildfire losses, construction costs and the cost of reinsurance all push premiums up.
• Recent rule changes are already in motion. Under current rules, insurers can now use forward-looking catastrophe models and reinsurance costs when setting rates, in exchange for writing more policies in wildfire areas. That generally means higher premiums in the near term. The next commissioner could keep, adjust or roll back those rules.
• The FAIR Plan is still large. It had nearly 700,000 policies as of June 2026. Growth has slowed, but it is still the only option for many homeowners.
• Neither candidate has a quick fix. Both approaches have supporters and critics among consumer groups, insurers and economists. Insurance is a highly regulated industry, and Californians have been voting on insurance-related laws for decades. It is reasonable that some of those laws may have become outdated or are no longer sustainable. It is important to consider the long-term impacts of our voting decisions, as it usually takes years for them to show up.

Questions worth considering

We've created the following questions as an exercise to help you identify your insurance priorities and the candidate who is best aligned with them.

• How should California handle building and rebuilding in high wildfire risk areas? Are you willing to subsidize a homeowner's choice to live in a high wildfire risk area? Would you like others to help subsidize your home in a high wildfire risk area?
• What solutions do you feel are most needed to help homeowners protect their homes, often their most valuable asset, when weather-related risks are increasingly unpredictable? Which parties are responsible for implementing these solutions?
• How much insurance coverage should be offered and managed by a state program versus a private insurance company? What are the pros and cons of state-run coverage versus coverage through a private carrier?
• Would you prefer to have more carriers to choose from, or fewer?
• How can your insurance needs be balanced with the needs of the private carriers who provide the coverage, to create mutually beneficial solutions?
• If you prefer a state-run insurance program, what does a sufficient and sustainable business model look like?
• Insurance fraud takes millions of dollars each year from pooled resources and is a major factor in the cost of insurance for all consumers. How should those who commit insurance fraud be held accountable, and by whom?
• What types of insurance or administrative experience and training are needed to implement the solutions you value most?

Which candidate is right for YOU?

Now that you've identified your insurance priorities, we recommend viewing the CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide to determine which candidate deserves your vote. CalMatters, a nonpartisan, highly reputable and trusted resource, offers a side-by-side comparison of the Insurance Commissioner candidates on key issues, campaign financing, and personal statement videos. You may find the videos especially helpful in understanding the candidates. Both can be watched in about 30 minutes combined.

https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/insurance-commissioner/

What you can do today, no matter who wins

• Review your coverage limits. Rebuilding costs have climbed. Make sure your dwelling limit would actually rebuild your home.
• Know your rights on claims. The California Department of Insurance consumer hotline is 800-927-4357 (insurance.ca.gov).
• Talk to us. We are happy to walk through your policy any time.

Key dates

• Voter registration deadline: Monday, October 19, 2026 (same-day conditional registration is also available at county election offices).
• Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Check your registration at registertovote.ca.gov.
• Official Voter Information Guide: voterguide.sos.ca.gov

Trevor Moriarty Insurance Agency  |  355 Pacific St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401  |  805-544-8300

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This guide is for general information only and is not an endorsement of any candidate. Information current as of September 18, 2026.