SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California just made it through the recall, but the 2022 election season is already heating up. However, this time, it's not the governor’s race. It's the insurance commissioner’s race.
Insurance is not the most exciting topic, but California's rising insurance rates and people getting dropped all together is considered another crisis to add to the list in the golden state. The insurance commissioner is in charge of regulating the entire industry in California.
As fires destroy properties in the state, many face skyrocketing insurance prices or nonrenewals.
"I represent a region of California that's been affected by wildfires," Assemblymember Marc Levine said. "What we've also seen is that even where the fires didn't hit, insurance companies are sending policy nonrenewal notices, along with increasing insurance rates for people whose circumstances haven't changed."
That's why the Democratic assemblymember decided to run for insurance commissioner.
"Insurance sometimes can feel like you're watching paint dry when you're talking about it," he said. "But this is an issue that can impact all Californians."
Levine is running against the current Democratic insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara, who was busy the last few days inspecting fire damage areas.
"No one has worked harder than this insurance commissioner," said Robin Swanson, campaign spokesperson for Lara, "and that's why he is endorsed by Democrats statewide."
Levine said scandals and missed opportunities are affecting the commissioner from doing his job.
"I'd like to put this era of scandals behind us and usher in an era of transparency," Levine said.
In 2019, Politico reported that Lara used taxpayer funds to pay for his apartment.
In the same year, The San Diego Union Tribune reported he took campaign money from the very insurance company he’s supposed to regulate, which he later returned.
"The insurance commissioner addressed that many years ago," Swanson said. "He has dealt with the situation, and he is focused on doing the job of insurance commissioner."
Swanson pointed to a campaign email with a very long list of Democratic supporters Lara has.
"If the way that Mr. Levine characterizes things were true, then the insurance commissioner wouldn't be endorsed by hundreds of Democrats and elected officials statewide, including the last three democratic governors, including our sitting governor," Swanson said. "So it's simply not not the case."
Within hours of Levine announcing he’s going to run for office, the insurance commissioner ordered insurance companies not to drop any policies from hundreds of thousands of thousands of residents who have been impacted by wildfires.
That’s seen as a short term solution, but Swanson said he’s working on long ones too.
Assemblymember Levine's run means that his seat is open in the House. He said he’s already had conversations with people who are interested in running. But as for who, he won’t say.
WATCH ALSO: