Ricardo Lara

1What can this job do?

The Insurance Commissioner regulates California's insurance industry. The office licenses insurers, reviews and approves the rates they charge for auto, home, and other coverage, investigates fraud, and helps consumers with complaints against insurance companies. California is one of only about a dozen states where voters elect the insurance regulator instead of having it appointed.

✗It does NOT regulate health-plan HMOs (a separate state department does) or set prices in any industry other than insurance, and it does not write the insurance laws it enforces.

2What has this person done with it?

We don't yet track a record of this official's actions here. For state offices, the public record is unusually good: recorded votes and bill histories are at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, and campaign finance is at the Secretary of State's Cal-Access. Those primary sources are the place to look — we'd rather send you there than summarize selectively.

We only log matters of public record, in the same format for every official — never opinion or news coverage.

3How does this affect you?

Every Californian shares this office. The insurance commissioner regulates insurance companies in California and reviews rates for things like auto, home, and health coverage. You share this one official with the whole state.

4How do you change it?

This is an elected statewide office with a four-year term, limited to two terms — every voter in California chooses it together, so your vote is one of millions. These offices are on the ballot in the same even-year cycle as the Governor. Registration, polling place, and mail ballots run through the Orange County Registrar of Voters (ocvote.gov).

☑This seat is expected on the ballot November 3, 2026 — that's the county's forecast, not yet the official notice of election.