Eleni Kounalakis - Nothing special, Just easy to vote for.

Ben Allen.

Let me put some more nuance here since it's an awkward office to run for:

Insurance Commissioner is primarily responsible for regulating how insurance companies provide rates, who they cover, and what they do with their float.

For you and me, who probably aren't homeowners, and probably don't have the capacity to buy property insurance anytime soon, the first two pieces aren't very important. Sure, they're good to watch for, but they don't affect us for the most part.

None of the candidates running for this office have explicitly mentioned or highlighted the third part.

The third part of the office is the most important for regulating the market as a whole. What insurance companies do with our premiums, by investing it across several low-to-high risk funds, can have significant implications for the market's health. This impact is multiplied in the private credit market.

Insurance Commissioners can require that insurance investment funds publicly label their investments and the associated risk behind them, placing a key check on private investors playing with the state's insurance market and threatening to destabilize the lives of claimants should a massive disaster happen again like the Palisades fire.

By requiring public disclosures of what insurance investors do with the money and certifying public credit risk assessments, the insurance commissioner would be utilizing the full power of their office to manipulate the market for good and protect California's insurance market from the impending credit crisis facing the nation as a whole. Once one of the candidates marks that as a priority, I'll be inclined to switch support to them or further support them.

Notably however, Ben safely advocates for insurance to not be a huge behemoth taking advantage of climate prone areas while also keeping these companies stable enough to provide coverage at reasonable rates.

Jane’s platform highlights a divestment from private investments by insurance companies, eliminating their float and making the rich even more angry and fueling them for republican opposition. A public model doesn’t work for California not only because we don’t have public health insurance yet, which should be first, but it also threatens to actually trickle down from mom and pop landlords bearing the brunt of a rise in cost from the public option, making it more unaffordable for renters to be in California. For those reasons, I’d go with the safer option in Ben Allen.

Jaron Brandon - Running against Marie Alvarado-Gil, who switched from Dem to Rep in August of 2024 just because she felt like it. Jaron is the Tuolumne County Supervisor and represents Central Valley interests well for this district in the Northern part of the Valley.

Sean Frame - Sacramento progressive advocate and PAC founder, also endorsed by California Working Families Party for this 51/49 district!

John Erickson - Current West Hollywood City Councilmember, great Housing Advocate, has solid endorsements from other progressives up and down the South Bay Coast

Avelino Valencia - The only Democrat in this race

Jackie Elward - Progressive educator and labor organizer currently serving as councilmember for Rohnert Park. Strong champion of LGBTQ+ and health rights.

Brian Pacheco - Current Fresno County Supervisor

Annalisa Perea - Current Fresno City Councilor

Andrae Gonzales - Bakersfield City Councilmember with a good history advocating for healthcare expansion, water rights in the Central Valley, and agricultural support for California's economy.

Pilar Schiavo - Current Assemblymember for this competitive district in Santa Clarita. She's also a super fun energy to be around!

Deborah Klein Lopez - Former Mayor of Agoura Hills. Don't love her, but she has solid endorsements from the area. It's a wealthier portion of Ventura County though, so her profile lines up with the district.