Two Democrats — including one endorsed by far-left U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders — have advanced past Tuesday’s primary in their bid to oversee the insurance industry in California.
Jane Kim, who leads the progressive California Working Families Party, and state Sen. Ben Allen will duke it out until the November general election during a time when the state’s insurance crisis has been dramatically worsened by devastating wildfires.
Kim, a former San Francisco supervisor, was the political director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential run. An endorsement from Sanders helped her push past a crowded field of 11 candidates to the top position. She had 26.8% of the votes with 83% of votes counted, according to the Associated Press.
“We need candidates who are going to take on the political establishment, the economic establishment, fight for Medicare for All, and that’s what Jane Kim is gonna do,” Sanders had said in a political ad for her.
Allen, who has authored bills aimed at providing relief to fire victims, is currently at 19.6% of the vote share.
The closest Republican to make it to the runoff was insurance expert Stacy Korsgaden, who had nearly 16%.
The California wildfires last year in Los Angeles have amplified the importance of the insurance commissioner. Some fire victims struggling to get claims resolved have called for current Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s resignation.
Insurance, as a result, has also been a subject of scrutiny in the governor’s race. Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra caught some attention for promising to cap homeowners’ insurance premiums, which some experts said a governor cannot do.
“I will call in the insurance commissioner,” said Becerra, a former state attorney general. “I will say, ‘I am going to call for a freeze. If you don’t want to go there, then I will call for an investigation of the way you are conducting your business.’”
While Becerra has insisted he would have the ability to do so, California voters passed Proposition 103, a landmark law that sought to protect consumers from arbitrary rate hikes by requiring insurers to get the approval from the state insurance commissioner before raising rates.
At a forum, Allen agreed that the governor does not have the authority. Kim didn’t say yes or no but noted it would be an “interesting case study.”