Jane Kim (D) defeated Ben Allen (D) in the general election for California commissioner of insurance on Nov. 3. Kim and Allen defeated nine other candidates to advance from the top-two primary on June 2, 2026. Incumbent Ricardo Lara (D) was term-limited. The commissioner of insurance regulates the property and casualty insurance market.

This was the first time two Democrats appeared in the general election for the office. The election was set against the backdrop of home insurance rates and recent wildfires. CalMatters' Levi Sumagaysay wrote that wildfires "were a factor in insurance companies canceling homeowner policies or refusing to write new ones. ... Many survivors of last year’s Los Angeles County fires are struggling to rebuild; they have sued insurance companies."

The two differed in how they would approach insurance policy changes in light of the wildfires. Allen proposed stabilizing the private insurance market. He said, "As Commissioner, I’m going to focus on making the system simpler, more transparent, and more accountable so people are treated fairly and know what to expect." Allen's website said, "My plan will restore a competitive insurance market, ensure Californians are treated fairly after disasters, and build resilient communities that can withstand the climate challenges ahead."

Kim proposed a state-run natural disaster insurance for all funded by private insurance premiums. She said, "To stabilize the market, we must actually reduce risk, not just get better at pricing it. To do this, we can place all homes into a single statewide pool for natural disaster coverage and keep premiums and investment returns in California. As a state, we can reduce our collective risk by investing a share of this revenue in community resiliency and infrastructure which makes us safer and offer zero- or low-interest loans to homeowners for home hardening and safety improvements."

The California Democratic Party, Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and the Consumer Federation of California endorsed Allen. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the California Teachers Association, and the Working Families Party endorsed Kim. According to CalMatters, Democratic consultant Kevin Liao said, "[M]any voters don’t know exactly what the insurance commissioner does ... That could mean that voters will rely on shortcuts such as Sanders’ endorsement of Kim, or the California Democrats’ endorsement of Allen. The race could come down to whose brand will convince voters."

Kim is an attorney and served as a San Francisco supervisor from 2011 to 2019. Kim's campaign website said her Natural Disaster Insurance for All plan "would address climate disaster instead of avoiding it. The private insurance business model is to avoid losses, not to reduce risk. ... A public insurer would invest in prevention and resiliency, and the public would benefit with fewer claims to pay out." Kim supported capping insurance executive pay and said, "We can do a far better job reining in profiteering and price gouging, and it is essential to restoring trust and affordability."

Allen was first elected to the California State Senate in 2014. He said as commissioner, he would "demand transparency in rate filings, push back on increases that aren’t supported by the facts, and ensure insurers properly account for risk-reduction efforts." Allen said he wanted to implement more fire mitigation measures and would "push for neighborhood-scale fire prevention and risk reduction programs that lower losses across entire communities and make it possible for insurers to responsibly write policies again."