2026 California Insurance Commissioner election
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This article documents a current primary. Information may change rapidly as the primary progresses until official results have been published. Initial news reports may be unreliable, and the last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. Please feel free to improve this article or discuss changes on the talk page. (June 2026) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
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The 2026 California Insurance Commissioner election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the Insurance Commissioner of California. Under California's nonpartisan blanket primary law, all candidates appear on the same ballot and the top two finishers, regardless of party, will advance to the general election in November, even if a candidate manages to receive a majority of the votes cast in the primary election. Incumbent Democratic Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election to a third term.
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 ]- Eric Thor Aarnio, contractor[7]
- Merritt Farren, attorney[8]
- Robert Howell, runner-up for Insurance Commissioner in 2022 [9]
- Stacy Korsgaden, insurance agent[10]
- Sean Lee, finance executive[11]
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)[24]
- Shirley Weber, secretary of state of California (2021–present)[23]
- Local officials
- Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles (2022–present)[25]
- Labor unions
- California Correctional Peace Officers Association [26]
- California State Building and Construction Trades Council [27]
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters California[28]
- Newspapers
Jane Kim (D)
- U.S. senators
- Bernie Sanders, Vermont (2007–present) (Independent)[2]
- U.S. representatives
- Statewide officials
- Malia Cohen, California state controller (2023-present)[30]
- Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California (2019–present)[31]
- Labor unions
- California Faculty Association [32]
- California Federation of Teachers (co-endorsement with Allen)[33]
- California Teachers Association [33]
- National Union of Healthcare Workers [2]
- SEIU California[33]
- SEIU United Healthcare Workers West [34]
- United Auto Workers Region 6 [35]
- UFCW Western States Council (co-endorsement with Allen)[17]
- Organizations
- California Working Families Party [33]
- California Young Democrats [36]
- Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club [37]
- Our Revolution [38]
- San Diego Democrats for Equality [39]
- Newspapers
Stacy Korsgaden (R)
- State legislators
- Brian Jones, minority leader of the California State Senate (2022–present) from the SD-40 (2018–present)[25]
- Political parties
Patrick Wolff (D)
- Newspapers
Eduardo Vargas (PFP)
- Political parties
Polling
[edit ]As of May 2026, no independent public polls had been released for the race. 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. [48]
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.[49]
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[50] | September 6–11, 2025 | 1000 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 10% | not polled | 5% | 22% | 5% | 5% | 52% |
| Lake Research Partners/Kim internal[51] | December 11–16, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 5% | 10% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 51% |
| FM3 Research/Wolff internal[52] | 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
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
Korsgaden
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
Howell
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jane Kim | 1,947,178 | 26.8 | |
| Democratic | Ben Allen | 1,423,338 | 19.6 | |
| Republican | Stacy Korsgaden | 1,150,979 | 15.8 | |
| Republican | Robert Howell | 566,100 | 7.8 | |
| Democratic | Patrick Wolff | 522,547 | 7.2 | |
| Republican | Merritt Farren | 492,786 | 6.8 | |
| Republican | Sean Lee | 401,909 | 5.5 | |
| Democratic | Steven Bradford | 353,707 | 4.9 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Eduardo "Lalo" Vargas | 204,421 | 2.8 | |
| Republican | Eric Aarnio | 134,280 | 1.8 | |
| American Independent | Keith Davis | 71,119 | 1.0 | |
| Total votes | 7,268,364 | 100.0 | ||
General election
[edit ]Results
[edit ]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ben Allen | ||||
| Democratic | Jane Kim | ||||
| Total votes | |||||
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 ]- ^ a b c d e f Jones, Blake (September 16, 2025). "Ben Allen launches bid for California insurance commissioner". Politico . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b c d e f g h 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.
- ^ a b "UFCW Western States Council 2026 Candidate Endorsements". UFCW Votes. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
- ^ "2026 EnviroVoters Endorsement List". California Environmental Voters . Retrieved October 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Endorsements" . Retrieved March 25, 2026.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Republican Party, California (April 12, 2026). "The California Republican Party has endorsed @SKorsgaden for Insurance Commissioner". California Republican Party. Retrieved April 12, 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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "Insurance Commissioner - Statewide Results". California Secretary of State. June 2, 2026. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
External links
[edit ]Official campaign websites