The race for California insurance commissioner has never been more critical: climate change and wildfires have upended the home insurance market, affecting the cost of living, disaster resilience, and housing access, especially for low-income homeowners. SPUR believes the next commissioner must encourage companies to return to California’s market, ensure accountability, and implement and reward risk mitigation strategies. We invited the candidates to share their plans for California’s broken home insurance market.

Oakland has an opportunity to adopt a governance structure that creates clear accountability, allows for decisive leadership, and enables effective action, thanks to a charter reform measure that Mayor Barbara Lee has introduced to the City Council for placement on the November 2026 ballot. The measure reflects recommendations from a charter reform working group co-facilitated by SPUR and the League of Women Voters Oakland. It would enhance the powers of both the mayor and the City Council and create an independent Budget and Legislative Analyst Office.

The June election is upon us and there’s a lot at stake on the ballot in San Francisco, San José, and Oakland. Every election, SPUR takes several months to dig deep into local and state ballot measures. Here’s a look at our analysis process and some tips on how you can use the guide in your own research — and share it with others.

This year SPUR welcomes 18 new members to our board of directors and our three city advisory boards. These new appointees bring extensive knowledge in planning, housing, transportation, good government, and sustainability and resilience. We look forward to their leadership as we continue our work to make the Bay Area a place where everyone can thrive.