Three insurance commissioner races moved closer to resolution on Tuesday. Together, the three contests will shape insurance regulation across markets representing tens of millions of policyholders.
Jane Kim and state Sen. Ben Allen, both Democrats, secured spots in the November general election for California insurance commissioner, guaranteeing that the incoming commissioner will approach the role from a markedly different direction than predecessor Ricardo Lara - who himself moved the market significantly through the Sustainable Insurance Strategy.
The stakes are exceptional. FAIR Plan enrollment surged 43% between September 2024 and December 2025 following the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, which caused approximately $40 billion in insured losses. As of June 2025, the FAIR Plan's total exposure had reached $650 billion - a 289% increase since the end of fiscal year 2019. In 46 of California's 58 counties, nonrenewals outnumbered new policies written in 2023. The outgoing commissioner's office is currently pursuing action to revoke State Farm's licence following the 2025 wildfire claims response.
Kim, a former San Francisco supervisor and political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, is proposing a state-run risk pool - National Disaster Insurance for All - funded through a levy on insurers and designed to depopulate the FAIR Plan. Allen, whose own Senate district was directly impacted by the 2025 fires, has called for greater transparency from insurers and the Department of Insurance, and has been endorsed by both of California's US senators.
California premiums are projected to rise 16% in 2026 as carriers implement new risk-based pricing models under the Sustainable Insurance Strategy. Whoever wins in November will inherit a market in acute crisis and a regulatory agenda that will define the state's insurance landscape for years.
In Georgia, Keisha Sean Waites defeated DeAndre Mathis in the Democratic runoff for insurance commissioner, setting up a general election contest against incumbent Republican commissioner John King. Waites received 58.70% of the vote to Mathis' 41.30%, according to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State.
Waites brings three terms in the Georgia Legislature, service as an Atlanta City Council member and 15 years with the US Department of Homeland Security and the Small Business Administration. She has pledged to challenge unjustified rate increases, end the use of ZIP codes and credit scores in rate-setting, and establish a dedicated fraud task force.
King first assumed office in 2019 and was elected to a full four-year term in 2022, having withdrawn from a Republican US Senate bid to concentrate on his reelection campaign. His platform focuses on tort reform, supporting the state-based health insurance exchange and fighting fraud. The last Democrat to serve as Georgia insurance commissioner was Tim Ryles, who held the office from 1991 to 1995 - making this one of the more competitive Democratic challenges the state has seen in the role in recent memory.
In Oklahoma, Bob Sullivan and Marty Quinn advanced from the Republican primary to an August 25 runoff, with Sullivan leading at approximately 37% of the vote and Quinn finishing second at around 28%. The winner will face Democrat Craig MacIntyre in the November 3 general election to replace term-limited commissioner Glen Mulready.
Sullivan, a third-generation property and casualty insurance specialist with two decades of experience, said Oklahomans are "crying out under duress" from rising insurance rates and unpaid claims. Quinn brings more than 40 years of private-sector insurance experience and previously chaired the Oklahoma Senate Insurance Committee.
MacIntyre has worked in the insurance industry since 1993, primarily in actuarial work, product development, risk management and government relations.
The most significant Oklahoma development, however, may already be law. During this legislative session, lawmakers passed - and Governor Kevin Stitt signed - legislation expanding the incoming commissioner's authority to review and disapprove rate filings deemed excessive, unfair or discriminatory, shifting Oklahoma from a use-and-file system to a file-and-wait framework. Whoever wins in November will take office with materially greater rate oversight powers than their predecessor held.
