For the first time in history, a Korean American has been elected to a statewide executive office in California as Jane Kim California Insurance Commissioner candidate claimed victory on the 6th.
With 65% of the total ballots counted as of noon that day, Kim secured 53% of the vote, leading state Senator Ben Allen by a 6-percentage-point margin.
Allen conceded defeat earlier in the day and placed a congratulatory phone call to Kim.
During a press conference held in San Francisco, Kim stated, “The most important thing is that we have ideas, and we will make insurance work for all of us.”
Kim will become the first female and first Asian American insurance commissioner since the position transitioned to an elected office.
This is not the first time Kim has set a “first” record. She entered politics in 2006 by winning election to the San Francisco Board of Education as the city’s first Korean American elected official. She subsequently served as a San Francisco Supervisor for District 6 from 2011 to 2019.
Notably, Kim secured her victory despite the California Democratic Party officially endorsing her opponent, Allen, drawing strong backing from the progressive wing including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Her core campaign pledges included introducing public wildfire insurance, strengthening insurance company accountability, and easing the burden of premium costs.
