Your Guide To The California Insurance Commissioner's Race: Who Will Replace Ricardo Lara?

State Sen. Ben Allen (D, El Segundo) addresses nan crowd during nan California Democratic Convention successful San Francisco.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Ben Allen, 48, is simply a third-term Democratic authorities legislator who represents nan Palisades occurrence area and, since nan blazes, has authored bills that supply taxation alleviation to occurrence victims and raise payments for individual spot losses. He antecedently made a sanction for himself connected biology issues, including starring nan effort to put a successful $10-billion ambiance bond connected nan 2024 ballot. A autochthonal and resident of Santa Monica, Allen attended Harvard and has a rule grade from UC Berkeley. He antecedently served connected nan Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board. He is endorsed by California U.S. Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla.

Jane Kim is moving for California security commissioner.

(Jane Kim)

Jane Kim, 48, is simply a Democrat from San Francisco who served arsenic nan city’s supervisor (2011-19) and has a progressive record. Her accomplishments see starring a groundbreaking run to make nan city’s organization assemblage tuition free. She served arsenic California governmental head for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 statesmanlike tally and is endorsed by Sanders, nan progressive independent legislator from Vermont. The girl of Korean immigrants, she attended Stanford and has a rule grade from UC Berkeley. Prior to her governmental career, she was an lawyer astatine nan Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and is simply a leader of nan Working Families Party.

Steven Bradford is moving for California security commissioner.

(Steve Bradford)

Steven Bradford, 66, served arsenic a Democratic authorities legislator from 2016 to 2024, representing parts of southbound Los Angeles County and nan South Bay. Key accomplishments included a measure that created nan first statewide process to decertify constabulary officers who perpetrate wrongdoing. He antecedently served successful nan Assembly and successful 1997 was nan first African American elected to nan metropolis assembly of Gardena, a organization he grew up successful and wherever he continues to reside. He worked astatine IBM and Southern California Edison earlier entering authorities afloat time. A postgraduate of Cal State Dominguez Hills, he is endorsed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Patrick Wolff is moving for California security commissioner.

Patrick Wolff, 58, is simply a Democrat, chartered financial expert and existent property investor who’d ne'er tally for nationalist agency but has been progressive successful section San Francisco politics. He serves connected nan national oversight committee for nan San Francisco Unified School District enslaved program. A chess grandmaster who erstwhile played professionally, he pursued a profession successful finance, founding a hedge fund, moving astatine a family agency and building nan car and location security brokerage business of Capital One — applicable experience, he says. A postgraduate of Harvard, he has donated $500,000 to his run and loaned it different $100,000.

Robert Howell is moving for California security commissioner.

(Robert Howell)

Robert Howell, 71, of San José, was nan Republican campaigner successful nan 2022 wide predetermination for security commissioner, which he mislaid to Lara by 20 points. He is nan proprietor of Silicon Valley electronics testing patient Exatron and has been progressive successful GOP authorities for years. A populist, Howell founded 1 of nan first Tea Party groups successful nan authorities and is simply a personnel of nan Santa Clara County Republican Central Committee. Howell besides has tally for authorities Senate and lost. He is endorsed by nan blimpish California Republican Assembly.

Stacy Korsgaden is moving for California security commissioner.

(Stacy A. Korsgaden)

Stacy Korsgaden, 62, is simply a Republican and Grover Beach financial advisor who owned a Farmers Insurance agency for decades. A free marketplace advocator who cites her manufacture experience, Korsgaden says Proposition 103, which regulates nan industry, has constricted nan readiness of insurance. She has mislaid successful runs for Grover Beach politician and for a spot connected nan San Luis Obispo County committee of supervisors. A postgraduate of Cal Poly, she is endorsed by authorities Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones. Korsgaden attended nan Jan. 6, 2021 rally astatine nan U.S. Capitol but said she abhors nan unit that took place.

Merritt Farren is moving for California security commissioner.

(Merritt Farren)

Merritt Farren, 65, is simply a lifelong Democrat who switched parties to tally for security commissioner arsenic a Republican. He is simply a newcomer to governmental agency whose run leans heavy connected his individual acquisition of losing his Pacific Palisades location successful nan fire. Last year, he intervened arsenic a user advocator successful State Farm’s petition for a complaint hike, seeking to necktie it to its claims-handling practices. He points to his acquisition arsenic an in-house ineligible counsel for Amazon and Disney arsenic bully mentation for moving nan security department. He is simply a postgraduate of Stanford and obtained a rule grade from UC Berkeley.

Also moving are Republicans Sean Lee, a financial services executive, and Eric Thor Aarnio, a contractor. Eduardo “Lalo” Vargas, a subject teacher, is nan Peace and Freedom Party candidate. Keith W. Davis, an security agent, is nan American Independent Party candidate.