State Senator Ben Allen (D, El Segundo) addresses the crowd during the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
ben allen, 48, is a third-term Democratic state senator who represents the Palisades fire area and since the fire, he has authored bills that provide tax relief to fire victims and raise payments for personal property damage. He has previously made a name for himself on environmental issues, including leading an effort to secure a successful $10 billion climate bond in the 2024 election. A native and resident of Santa Monica, Allen attended Harvard and received a law degree from UC Berkeley. He previously served on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board. California U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla have endorsed him.
Jen Kim is running for California Insurance Commissioner.
(Jane Kim)
jane kim, 48, is a Democrat from San Francisco who served as city supervisor (2011–19) and has a progressive record. His accomplishments include leading an unprecedented campaign to make the city’s community college tuition free. He served as the California political director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and has been endorsed by Senator Sanders, a progressive independent from Vermont. The daughter of Korean immigrants, she attended Stanford and received a law degree from UC Berkeley. Before her political career, she was an attorney at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and is a leader of the Working Families Party.
Steven Bradford is running for California Insurance Commissioner.
(Steve Bradford)
steven bradford, 66, served as a Democratic state senator from 2016 to 2024, representing South Los Angeles County and parts of the South Bay. Major accomplishments include a bill that created the first statewide process to decertify police officers who commit wrongdoing. He previously served in the Assembly and in 1997 was the first African American elected to the city council of Gardena, a community in which he grew up and where he still lives. Before entering politics full-time he worked at IBM and Southern California Edison. A graduate of Cal State Dominguez Hills, he has the endorsement of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Patrick Wolfe is running for California Insurance Commissioner.
patrick wolfe, 58, is a Democrat, chartered financial analyst and real estate investor who has never run for public office, but has been active in local San Francisco politics. He serves on the citizen oversight committee for the San Francisco Unified School District bond program. A chess grandmaster who once played professionally, he pursued a career in finance, founded a hedge fund, worked in a family office and built Capital One’s auto and home insurance brokerage business — relevant experience, he says. A graduate of Harvard, he has donated $500,000 to his campaign and loaned an additional $100,000.
Robert Howell is running for California Insurance Commissioner.
(Robert Howell)
Robert Howell, 71, of San Jose, was the Republican nominee in the 2022 general election for insurance commissioner, which he lost to Lara by 20 points. He owns Silicon Valley electronics testing firm Exatron and has been involved in GOP politics for years. A populist, Howell founded one of the first Tea Party groups in the state and is a member of the Santa Clara County Republican Central Committee. Howell has also run for State Senate and lost. He is supported by the conservative California Republican Assembly.
Stacey Korsgaden is running for California Insurance Commissioner.
(Stacey A. Korsgaden)
Stacey Korsgaden, 62, is a Republican and Grover Beach financial advisor who owned the Farmers Insurance Agency for decades. A free-market advocate who cites her industry experience, Korsgaden says Proposition 103, which deregulated the industry, has limited the availability of insurance. She has lost races for Grover Beach mayor and a seat on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. A graduate of Cal Poly, she has the endorsement of state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones. Korsgaden attended the rally at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 but said she was disgusted by the violence. He is endorsed by the California Republican Party.
Merritt Farren is running for California Insurance Commissioner.
(Merritt Farren)
Merit Farren, 65, is a lifelong Democrat who switched parties to run for Insurance Commissioner as a Republican. He is a newcomer to political office whose campaign relied heavily on his personal experience of losing his Pacific Palisades home in a fire. Last year, he intervened as a consumer advocate in State Farm’s request for a rate increase, seeking to link it to its claims handling practices. He cites his experience as in-house legal counsel for Amazon and Disney as good preparation for running an insurance department. He is a graduate of Stanford and received a law degree from UC Berkeley.
Also running are Republicans Shawn Lee, a financial services executive, and Eric Thor Aarnio, a contractor. Eduardo “Lalo” Vargas, a science teacher, is the candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party. Keith W. Davis, an insurance agent, is the candidate of the American Independent Party.
