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Statewide constitutional office

Insurance Commissioner of California

This durable statewide office leads California's insurance regulator and consumer-protection agency.

View the latest election
Data coverage
Government
State of California
Public body
California Department of Insurance
Electoral area
California statewide
Outline map of California, the statewide electoral area
California statewide
i
Reviewed California state outline. This office represents the full state. A district comparison tool is not needed.

Office overview

The office at a glance

See what this office does, the government it belongs to, the area it represents, and how voters choose its officeholder.

Government levelStateState of California
Contest typeVoter-nominatedCalifornia top-two primary
SeatStatewide officeOne of California's eight statewide constitutional offices
Regular term4 yearsRegular term; next election is 2026; no one may serve more than two terms in this office

What this office does

Regulates California's insurance market

The Insurance Commissioner regulates insurance rates and market conduct, oversees insurer solvency, licenses insurance professionals, resolves consumer complaints, and investigates insurance fraud.

California Department of Insurance

Election process

A statewide top-two election every four years

All voters receive the same voter-nominated candidate list. The top two primary finishers advance regardless of party preference, and the general-election winner serves a four-year term.

Next electionNovember 3, 2026

Open the 2026 Election Page
California statewide statisticsJuly 1, 2025 population estimate and 2020–2024 measures

These statewide measures describe the shared electoral area for all eight California constitutional offices. They do not describe an officeholder's performance. QuickFacts combines the latest available population estimate with 2020–2024 Census measures, so each row retains its own period note.

People and households

Population
39,355,309July 1, 2025 estimate
Persons per household
2.842020–2024
Foreign-born residents
27.0%Share of residents; 2020–2024

Income and education

Median household income
$99,1222024 inflation-adjusted dollars
People in poverty
11.8%2020–2024
Bachelor's degree or higher
37.1%Population age 25+; 2020–2024

Housing

Housing units
14,995,410July 1, 2025 estimate
Homeownership rate
55.9%Occupied housing units; 2020–2024
Median gross rent
$2,036Monthly; 2020–2024
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: California

Current officeholder

Who currently holds this office?

The official Department of Insurance website and California Roster identify Ricardo Lara as California's current Insurance Commissioner.

Past officeholders7 verified succession records

Succession history

Explore prior service

Elected Insurance Commissioners beginning with the modern elected office in 1991.

A displayed end boundary is the date on which the next listed officeholder assumed office; it is not independently asserted as the prior officeholder's final day.

Electoral area

Where this office represents

See the geographic area represented by this office and open its location information when available.

Outline map of California, the statewide electoral area
California statewideReviewed California state outline. This office represents the full state. A district comparison tool is not needed.

Reviewed electoral area

California

Voters in all 58 California counties elect this officeholder to one statewide office.

A reviewed static map is shown while a reliable interactive boundary remains unavailable.

Open the Location Page

Past elections

Election history

This section covers completed elections. Current and upcoming contests remain on the Election Page linked from the top of this Office Page. A published past Election Page contains the full candidate list, certified result, campaign-finance coverage, methodology, and source documents.

Election archive

November 8, 2022 · Insurance Commissioner of California page not yet published

The election is listed so the office chronology is clear, but its result and source documents have not yet been assembled into a Paper Trail Politics Election Page.

Public records

Records connected to this office

Open the official records used to follow the work, decisions, or disclosures connected to this office.

Consumer assistance

Insurance consumer help

File or track a complaint, ask an insurance question, and find disaster and coverage resources.

Open official record

Licensing

Insurance license status inquiry

Verify the license status of an insurance agent, broker, adjuster, or other licensee.

Open official record

Legal records

Decisions, rulings, and legal information

Browse commissioner decisions, precedential rulings, regulations, notices, and related legal records.

Open official record

News and Press Releases

Updates from this office

Read press releases, official updates, and coverage selected by this office. Follow each link to its source.

Official portrait of Ricardo Lara
California Department of Insurance
California Department of Insurance
Official update

Commissioner Lara announces appointments and reappointments to statewide advisory boards

The Commissioner announced appointments and reappointments to Department of Insurance governing and advisory bodies.

California Department of InsuranceRead official update
Official portrait of Ricardo Lara
California Department of Insurance
California Department of Insurance
Official update

Commissioner Lara defeats attempt to undermine California insurance market

The Department reported a court ruling upholding insurance-market stabilization actions intended to protect coverage availability.

California Department of InsuranceRead official update
Official portrait of Ricardo Lara
California Department of Insurance
California Department of Insurance
Official update

Commissioner Lara moves to strengthen long-term insurance solvency planning

The Commissioner announced proposed planning requirements addressing catastrophe, cybersecurity, artificial-intelligence, and other emerging solvency risks.

California Department of InsuranceRead official update

Sources

Sources and data coverage

Review the public records used on this page, what Paper Trail Politics has captured, and what remains incomplete.

Current assessmentStrong coverage

The office identity, current officeholder and contact, verified succession chronology, California-wide electoral area and statistics, connected 2026 election, official records, related statewide offices, three current official publications, and source trail are included.

Assessed August 18, 2026 · Current 2026 records

The 2018 and 2022 Election Pages, complete historical portrait coverage, compensation, additional succession context, and full visual and accessibility release review remain incomplete.

Sources used on this page11 source organizations · 21 records
Official candidate source

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Candidate list and ballot informationhttps://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2026-primary/sov/67-ic.xlsx
U.S. Census Bureau state boundary

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Boundary source for State of Californiahttps://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/USLandmass/MapServer/0
California Department of Insurance

9 records from this source are used on the page.

Official government information about the office and public bodyhttps://www.insurance.ca.gov/0500-about-us/01-commissioner/The official Department of Insurance website and California Roster identify Ricardo Lara as California's current Insurance Commissioner.https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0500-about-us/05-contact/Insurance consumer helphttps://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/Insurance license status inquiryhttps://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/apex_extprd/f?p=144:1Decisions, rulings, and legal informationhttps://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0500-legal-info/Official update: Commissioner Lara announces appointments and reappointments to statewide advisory boardshttps://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2026/release025-2026.cfmOfficial update: Commissioner Lara defeats attempt to undermine California insurance markethttps://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2026/release022-2026.cfmOfficial update: Commissioner Lara moves to strengthen long-term insurance solvency planninghttps://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2026/release021-2026.cfmOfficial publication archive used to review current News items.https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2026/
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: California

1 record from this source is used on the page.

July 1, 2025 population estimate and 2020–2024 measures detailed district statisticshttps://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/CA/PST045225
California Secretary of State · 2026 History of California Constitutional Officeholders

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Verified succession chronology for Insurance Commissioner of Californiahttps://admin.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ca-roster/2026/history-of-officers.pdf
California Department of Insurance via Wikimedia Commons

2 records from this source are used on the page.

Reviewed photograph for Dave Jones · California Department of Insurance · Public domain (California government work)https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_Insurance_Commissioner_Dave_Jones.pngReviewed photograph for Steve Poizner · California Department of Insurance · Public domain (California government work)https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steve_Poizner.jpg
U.S. Congress via Wikimedia Commons

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Reviewed photograph for John Garamendi · United States Congress · Public domain (U.S. government work)https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Garamendi_113th_Congress.jpg
Wikimedia Commons

1 record from this source is used on the page.

Reviewed photograph for Chuck Quackenbush · Ombudsman · CC BY-SA 3.0https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chuck_Quackenbush.jpg
California Secretary of State

2 records from this source are used on the page.

California Roster source for the eight current statewide constitutional officers and their office contact information.https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/california-rosterOfficial explanation of California voter-nominated and nonpartisan primary election rules.https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/primary-elections-california
California Legislative Information

1 record from this source is used on the page.

California Constitution Article V source for executive powers, statewide election timing, terms, and term limits.https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?article=V&chapter=&division=&lawCode=CONS&part=&title=
U.S. Census Bureau

1 record from this source is used on the page.

State cartographic boundary source underlying the static California map treatment.https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-series/geo/cartographic-boundary.html
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