BEN ALLEN

Why Thrive LA endorses BEN

Ben Allen has represented California's 24th Senate District since 2014, covering the Westside, Hollywood, the South Bay, and the Santa Monica Mountains. A Harvard, Cambridge, and UC Berkeley Law graduate, he previously served as President of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education and lectured at UCLA Law School. He has authored more than 90 laws during his time in the Legislature. The Insurance Commissioner's office is not glamorous, but it matters enormously to every Californian who pays a homeowner's, renter's, auto, or business insurance premium. After the devastating 2025 Palisades Fire, the stakes are even higher: millions of policyholders need a commissioner who will hold insurers accountable for paying legitimate claims while maintaining a regulatory environment that keeps carriers writing policies in California instead of fleeing the state. Allen's opponent, Jane Kim, is a Working Families Party activist endorsed by DSA-aligned organizations. Kim's track record in San Francisco politics is one of ideological crusades, not the operational competence this office demands. Allen is the substantive, credible choice. Allen brings real legislative depth on insurance and disaster preparedness. He authored wildfire mitigation and disaster relief legislation following the Palisades Fire, secured funding for brush clearing and forest management, and championed home-hardening standards that reduce risk for homeowners and insurers alike. He carries the endorsement of Former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, the one living former officeholder who actually ran this department. He is backed by the California Professional Firefighters and the International Association of Fire Fighters, the people who respond when policies get tested by flames. The California Association of Realtors' PAC (CREPAC) supports him, a signal that the real estate community trusts him to keep insurance markets functional. Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper has also endorsed Allen. In the Legislature, Allen earned top marks from the California Clean Money Campaign for transparency and authored the Disclose Act, demonstrating a commitment to open government that will translate directly into how the Department of Insurance publishes rate decisions, enforcement actions, and consumer complaint data. Ben Allen is the experienced, substantive Insurance Commissioner California needs.