Marin's Marc Levine ponders post-Assembly political future [The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif.]

Jan. 2—Marc Levine, Marin's former representative in the state Assembly, isn't saying what his plans are for the immediate future, but he has already formed a committee to mount a second bid for state insurance commissioner in 2026.

Levine, who was elected to the Assembly in 2012, sacrificed the chance to run for a sixth term to mount an unsuccessful bid to unseat state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Damon Connolly, a Marin County supervisor who won Levine's seat in November, was sworn in last month.

Levine, a Democrat, got knocked out of the race for insurance commissioner in the June primary when he finished third behind Robert Howell, a Republican. Lara, a Democrat, received 35.9% of the vote, while Howell received 18.1% and Levine received 18%. Republican Greg Conlon finished fourth with 16.2% of the vote.

Lara beat Howell in the November general election with nearly 60% of the vote.

"We didn't really understand how the Republicans would split their turnout and that one of them would do just better than me," Levine said during a conversation with the Marin Independent Journal editorial board in December. "There was some independent spending to help direct people."

During the meeting, Levine also talked about the problems Californians are having getting home and auto insurance because of insurance companies issuing fewer policies in the state.

"I will make the prediction that Lara will likely increase rates on auto and housing in the New Year," Levine said. "What you have to look at is what are we getting in exchange. Will there be expanded coverage in California?"

Responding to questions on Friday regarding his new campaign finance committee for the 2026 election, Levine said, "The next four years are going to be very challenging for homeowners as well as auto owners. I'm going to continue paying attention to this issue."

Levine had about $91,000 left from his 2022 committee for insurance commissioner that has been moved over to the new committee. He has also created another committee, ostensibly to run for a seat on the Democratic Central Committee of Marin. Levine said that committee was formed to hold $71,000 left in his Assembly reelection committee.

Bruce Raful, Levine's treasurer and longtime friend, said Levine has supporters eager to help underwrite his future political endeavors.

"We received several contributions after the June primary from people who are his supporters," Raful said. "The only way we can legally accept that money is to create a new committee."

Insurance commissioners in California are limited to two four-year terms, so Lara will not be able to seek reelection in 2026.

Levine said he understood from the start that challenging Lara, an incumbent with an impressive liberal biography, would be an uphill battle. Even though Lara's reputation was challenged by his acceptance of insurance industry contributions, he was endorsed by Democratic party leaders such as Gov. Gavin Newsom and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis.

Levine has never hesitated to swim against the current of mainstream liberal views. While serving on the San Rafael City Council from 2009 to 2012, he angered some progressive supporters by voting to allow a new Target store to be built in the city.

Then, in 2012, Levine was elected to the Legislature by upsetting Assemblymember Michael Allen, who was backed by the Democratic Party establishment. Levine courted Republican voters and benefited from spending by two large agricultural trade associations that opposed Allen because of his support for legislation protecting farmworkers.

Two years later, Levine irked some housing advocates by getting a law passed that for the purposes of state housing law changed the designation of Marin County, San Rafael and Novato from metropolitan to suburban until 2023.

The change was key, because one way for jurisdictions to demonstrate they are meeting a state requirement for zoning for low- and very-low-income housing is to use what is known as the state's "default" density number. For metropolitan jurisdictions, the default density is 30 dwellings per acre. For suburban jurisdictions, the default density is 20 dwellings per acre. In 2017, Levine authored another law that extended the designation until 2028.

Affordable housing developers say low-income developments need more than 20 dwellings per acre in order to be economically viable.

Former Mill Valley mayor John McCauley, who contributed $1,000 to Levine's campaign for insurance commissioner, said he was impressed by Levine's willingness to listen to his concerns about the growing number of state laws limiting local control over the approval of new housing.

In 2021, the Mill Valley council, at McCauley's urging, adopted a resolution calling for a pause in all housing legislation except for state bills that provide funds for below-market-rate housing development.

"He listened to me," McCauley said, "and was empathetic to the concerns I was raising."

San Anselmo Councilmember Brian Colbert, who endorsed Levine's candidacy for insurance commissioner, said, "Marc has always been an independent thinker, eminently reasonable, and he knows how to get things done."

"He has always been laser focused on balancing the needs of his constituency with the broader aims of California," Colbert said. "That is why I endorsed him, and I'm excited to hear that he has formed a committee for 2026."

Raful, who got to know Levine when he was a San Rafael councilmember, said there are two things about Levine that impress him.

"The first is his willingness to tackle issues and take sensible stands that would be anathema to many of his colleagues, no matter the consequences," Raful said.

Raful said he also admires Levine, who lives in Greenbrae, for maintaining a healthy balance between his political life and his personal life.

"Too many elected officials get caught up in the glamor and adulation that comes with serving in public office," Raful said. "That never happened to Marc."

David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University, said Levine's upset of Allen was a big deal. But he said Levine "always struggled for relevance" in the Assembly and its Democratic caucus.

"He may have been a strong representative for Marin and southern Sonoma counties," McCuan said, "yet that struggle for relevance impacted all that he did."

During his decade as an assemblymember, Levine authored 95 bills. Some were more consequential than others. For example, one that never made it into law would have required the state to adopt a set of health standards for models.

Perhaps one of Levine's most impactful actions as a legislator was to coax the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the California Department of Transportation into opening a third eastbound lane on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge during commute hours and busy weekend hours. He also played a leading role in streamlining the planning process to speed the lane's opening.

Levine probably could have easily won reelection to another term in the Assembly before being termed out of office in 2024 had he not challenged Lara, but he says he has no regrets about that decision.

Levine, however, said there is one failure that has "left a bad taste" in his mouth, the failure to convince state prisons officials to take precautions sooner against the spread of COVID-19 at San Quentin. Levine said he first broached the subject with prison officials in March 2020.

"Then I wrote them a letter in April because I didn't think that conversation went where it needed to go," Levine said. "Then in May we had a budget hearing where I spoke at length about the lack of preparation for COVID in our prisons."

That same month a botched transfer of infected inmates from a Southern California prison to San Quentin ignited an outbreak that resulted in the deaths of 28 inmates and a correctional officer.

"I reached out to Marc in May 2020 when we were striking out on repeated requests for a copy of San Quentin's outbreak prevention plan," said Dr. Matt Willis, the Marin County public health officer. "Marc saw the gaps in the prison system's COVID readiness, and he was critical in getting support they needed, before and during the outbreak."

Levine said, "I did what I was supposed to do, but the state didn't. That was a big regret to me, that somehow they could make such a big mistake. It cost lives."

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