There is only one candidate who grasps the complexity of this crisis and has the legislative experience to address it.

That is Ben Allen.

Ben Allen (D), a State Senator from Santa Monica, has focused heavily on environmental issues in the Legislature since he was elected in 2014, including chairing the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

Watch the League of Women Voters Insurance Commissioner Forum here.

Ben Allen, Democrat: The El Segundo state senator, who represents a district that was hit by the Southern California wildfires, wants to set up a consumer advocate position within the insurance department. He also wants to create funding sources, such as state-backed loans, to make homes more fire resistant. 

Allen, a Democrat, would take a more comprehensive approach to risk reduction, including by creating funding sources such as state-backed loans for hardening homes, and by bringing together insurers, builders, local governments, firefighters and the state to work on solutions.

Two bills aimed at strengthening protections for insurance policyholders in California advanced out of committee this week, with supporters saying the measures would improve transparency and enforcement in a market plagued by widespread nonrenewals.

Sen. Ben Allen, D-Pacific Palisades, authored both measures.

State Sen. Ben Allen is turning up the pressure on California insurers, pushing two bills through a key committee that would force companies to spell out why they are cutting loose homeowners and give people a fair shot to fix problems before coverage disappears.

Senate Bill 894 and Senate Bill 1297, which both address wildfire risk reduction in the state, passed through their committees this week without opposition, and they are soon set to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Both bills were introduced by state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Pacific Palisades, who is one of 11 candidates for California Insurance Commissioner.

Allen has served as a member of the California state Senate since 2014. His plans include restoring a competitive insurance market, ensuring people are treated fairly after disasters and building resilient communities.

Allen represents portions of Los Angeles that were affected by last year’s fires. He spoke of bills he’d authored to improve consumer and environmental protections, including Proposition 4, a $10 billion bond passed in 2024 that provides money for climate resilience, including wildfire prevention.

He spoke of the need to focus on community-wide fire risk reduction and push insurance companies to better support customers.

Allen, a Democratic state senator from Los Angeles County, has the race’s largest campaign war chest, at more than $1 million. He’s also secured key endorsements from California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla.

Senator Ben Allen framed the issue as a structural failure rather than a temporary disruption... His focus centered on protecting consumers and restoring balance to the private market.

Allen said that risk reduction “is essential to the long-term stability and solvency of this market.”

“This is an opportunity for us as a state to start to shift policies and practices toward greater risk reduction and greater fire wisdom and fire resilience,” Allen said.

Ben Allen (Democrat) — The Wildfire Reformer. State Senator Ben Allen represents Santa Monica and watched the Palisades Fire tear through his own community on January 7, 2025. That experience is central to his campaign. Allen has endorsed by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff and won just over 40% of ballots cast at the California Democratic Party convention in late February — the strongest showing of any candidate there.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla today announced his endorsement of State Senator Ben Allen’s (D-Santa Monica) campaign for California Insurance Commissioner – citing his long track record of solving tough challenges and supporting families after last year’s devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County.

California legislators announced a 13-bill wildfire prevention package Wednesday aimed at addressing the state's escalating megafire crisis through home hardening, beneficial fire programs and new firefighting technologies.

Sen. Ben Allen, who represents the Pacific Palisades and Malibu communities devastated by wildfires last January, described the ongoing hardship facing his constituents.

California state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Pacific Palisades, introduced legislation Friday that would require property insurers to give policyholders six months' notice before dropping their coverage and explain the specific reasons for doing so.

Senate Bill 1301 would also prohibit insurers from nonrenewing a policy solely because a policyholder inquired about a claim, filed a claim that was not paid, or filed a claim that fell within their deductible.

Following the California Democratic Party convention, the political reality is now clear – Ben Allen is the frontrunner in the race for Insurance Commissioner. The facts back this up across every measure that matters in a competitive primary

On January 7, 2025, the Palisades Fire erupted miles from my home, tearing through the community I represent in the State Senate. Helping friends, neighbors, and constituents who lost everything navigate insurance claims gave me a front-row seat to our broken insurance system. Standing amid smoke and uncertainty, I saw what failure looks like. Those experiences have shown me the importance of transparency, accountability, and putting people first.

California Teachers & Most Democratic Legislators Agree: Ben Allen is the Right Candidate for Insurance Commissioner

LOS ANGELES — A majority of Democratic state legislators – and the California Federation of Teachers – have endorsed State Senator Ben Allen’s (D-Santa Monica) campaign for California Insurance Commissioner.

I got a front row seat to the dysfunction of our current insurance system. Our work went from helping people in the immediate aftermath of the fire to thinking about broader policy changes. This visceral experience of what so many of my friends, neighbors and constituents went through drove me to run for California Insurance Commissioner.

Longtime Environmental Leader, Consumer Advocate Vows to Protect Californians in the Face of a Changing Climate & Growing Insurance Crisis; Enters Race with Support of Primary Legislative Leaders, Senator Schiff