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.

In the California State Senate, I’ve built a reputation for tackling difficult problems, and perhaps no problem in our state is as vexing as fixing our insurance system. It’s a system under severe strain, with the consequences falling hardest on those least able to absorb them.