Jane Kim, a progressive candidate for California insurance commissioner, is facing accusations of "profound intellectual dishonesty" from a former primary challenger over her signature policy proposal.
Patrick Wolff, who lost in the primary for the role, stated in an op-ed that Kim's plan for a single-payer disaster insurance policy, dubbed "Natural Disaster Insurance for All," is based on "smoke and mirrors" and lacks concrete details.
Kim, a former San Francisco supervisor and head of the California Working Families Party, is running on a platform that includes creating a single state fund to cover disaster losses, aiming to replace private insurers. The proposal suggests that all Californians would be in the same risk pool and pay premiums based on factors like property value or risk.
Wolff, who previously worked in banking and finance, argued that Kim's plan would "put California taxpayers on the hook for untold billions." He also disputed Kim's comparisons to similar programs in other countries, stating that they do not cover wildfire risks or operate as she proposes. Wolff specifically pointed to a New Zealand program as not comparable and not covering fire.
He further alleged that Kim's campaign has misrepresented existing regulations, citing her promise to "stop insurers from using credit scores to deny coverage" as an example, despite a rule already being in place.
Kim is one of two candidates who advanced to the general election for California insurance commissioner. Her sole opponent in the race is state Sen. Ben Allen. The election comes amid a significant increase in insurance challenges in California, exacerbated by devastating wildfires in recent years.