2022 election: Q&A with Ricardo Lara, California insurance commissioner candidate [The San Diego Union-Tribune]

There are nine candidates for state insurance commissioner on the June 7 ballot. Three Democrats — medical doctor/businessman Vinson Eugene Allen ($1 million), incumbent Ricardo Lara ($1.9 million) and San Rafael Assemblymember Marc Levine ($1.8 million) — have far outraised all others to get their messages out. The top two vote-getters will advance to a Nov. 8 runoff election. The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board sent surveys to the three main candidates. Here are their replies.

If you have comments or questions about the election or any of the candidates after reading this interview, please email Editorial and Opinion Director Matthew T. Hall at [email protected].

Below are Ricardo Lara's responses and a link to other responses.

Q: What in your background makes you the best candidate for this job?

A: As California's insurance commissioner, protecting consumers is my top priority. Whether I'm standing up for wildfire survivors after historic and unprecedented wildfire devastation or working to force insurance companies to put $2.4 billion and counting back in the pockets of drivers during the pandemic, I'm on your side.

Since 2019, I have participated in over 60 town halls and community events, listening to tens of thousands of homeowners and business owners about the growing threat of wildfires to lives and property.

As a result of these conversations and my executive actions, we have preserved insurance for more than 3 million Californians who were at risk of losing it.

I'm also a champion of access to quality health care for all and have advocated for new innovative ideas like the Parent Healthcare Act to allow policyholders to include their elderly parents on their health plans.

Q: You have faced several controversies and allegations of unethical behavior in your political career, before and during your term as insurance commissioner. Why should voters trust you?

A: Voters trust results. In my tenure as a public servant, I have consistently delivered real results and accomplished things that have never been done before in this office — from record-breaking premium refunds for California motorists to fighting to keep insurance for wildfire survivors.

Three years ago, I returned contributions that didn't reflect my values. I fired my fundraiser and I stopped fundraising entirely for more than a year to implement a rigorous review process. Unlike one of my opponents in this race, my campaign returned all campaign contributions from registered insurance brokers.

While my opponent spends the majority of his time attacking me, I am spending my time working for the people of California, including working to expand health care coverage, protecting our environment and putting money back in the pockets of consumers.

Q: How would you ensure that homeowners, only starting with those in high-risk wildfire zones, know what steps are necessary to maintain eligibility for private insurance and are treated fairly by insurance companies when seeking coverage?

A: Making people safer from wildfires is job one. Working with the state's major emergency agencies, including Cal Fire, I created the first-of-its-kind Safer from Wildfires insurance framework. I have proposed regulations that will incorporate Safer from Wildfires for insurance pricing, driving down costs and creating transparency for consumers. When you do the work of wildfire safety, you should see the reward. When they are implemented this summer, my regulations will put power back in the hands of homeowners and businesses in high-risk areas.

The California Department of Insurance is also using the power of nature to reduce risks. I released the first ever Climate Insurance Report on how to invest in healthy forests to protect communities and make insurance more resilient. Environmentally sound land use is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting communities from wildfires, flooding and heat waves.

I'm also working to strengthen climate risk disclosure, establishing a national bipartisan Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures climate risk disclosure for nearly 80 percent of the U.S. market — the same high standard that the Biden administration is currently pursuing for other financial institutions. Comprehensive climate risk disclosure motivates insurance markets to mitigate risks and protect consumers from climate change.

I'm working to create climate insurance solutions by establishing a Climate Smart Insurance Products Database to expand insurance products that drive down emissions, including those for zero emission trucks, buses and nature-based solutions. This includes insurance products that reward risk reduction, such as home and community hardening.

Because consumers need to see where their premiums are invested, I recently released a Climate Risk and Resilience report, listing insurance companies' fossil fuel and tar sands holdings. This tool also for the first time tracks green investments that will make the insurance sector more sustainable.

Q: The state's FAIR program is meant to provide insurance of last resort to property owners who are denied coverage from private insurers. Is it doing an adequate job in an era of wildfire risk and greater denials? If not, how would you improve it?

A: The FAIR plan needs to be fixed. As part of my comprehensive plan, we've been expanding the FAIR plan's coverage for homeowners. I ordered the FAIR plan — California's insurance safety net — to increase homeowners and business coverage limits, which had not changed in decades, and to offer a comprehensive homeowners insurance coverage option in addition to its current limited coverage. I also worked with the Legislature to allow the FAIR plan to cover farms, wineries and other agricultural businesses, which it had not been able to do before.

The FAIR plan should be seen as part of a broader solution for homeowners, including the Safer from Wildfires regulations I have been working on in concert with Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration to help homeowners get discounts on insurance.

Q: Why should voters choose you over your opponents?

A: At the end of the day, voters want results. In my tenure as insurance commissioner, I have delivered tangible results for consumers — from short-term relief via moratoriums on insurance cancellations and auto insurance refunds, to long-term solutions on wildfire protections and climate change.

There's nothing that can replace the experience I've had on the job meeting with tens of thousands of wildfire survivors to fix what's broken. There's nobody in this race with my record of working with the Legislature and governor to expand consumer protections. I'm here to finish the work we've started and humbly ask for your vote so that I may build on our efforts to:

-Implement our new wildfire regulations. Expanding funding for wildfire safety is going to require continued partnership with the governor, the Legislature, local fire chiefs and homeowners. I am the only one in this race with the relationships and experience to see this through.

-Fight discrimination in health care, in the increasing use of big data and in auto insurance. We are already seeing how long haul COVID-19 is hurting our Black communities, who have suffered the most during the pandemic and continue to face greater disparities in the long recovery.

-Finalize the Sustainable Insurance Roadmap with the United Nations to combat climate change. This is essential. It's not enough to tell insurance companies to divest from fossil fuels — we have to do the hard work of identifying sustainable investments and sustainable underwriting.

I'm proud to be endorsed by the California Professional Firefighters, the California Nurses Association, teachers and consumer advocates. I'm also the only candidate in this race endorsed by Planned Parenthood and the California Democratic Party. Please visit ricardolara.com for my full endorsement list.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.