Candidate for
Insurance Commissioner; State of California; Democratic Party

THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY TOUCHES OUR HOMES, BUSINESSES, ECONOMY, QUALITY OF LIFE AND OUR VERY FUTURE. THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AN INSURANCE COMMISSIONER WHO HAS THE KNOWLEDGE, INTEGRITY AND COMMITMENT TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE IN THE OFFICE AND TO BRING PEACE OF MIND TO ALL CALIFORNIANS WHO RELY ON THE PROTECTIONS OFFERED BY OUR INSURANCE SYSTEM." TOM CALDERON

BIOGRAPHY Tom Calderon was a member of the legislative team that shined the spotlight on the unscrupulous practices of former state Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush. In 2000 he became chairman of the Assembly Insurance Committee that has worked hard to protect consumers while at the same time maintaining the viability of our insurance infrastructure.

"Tom was a natural selection for the chair of the Committee on Insurance," states Assembly Speaker Robert M. Hertzberg. "He has demonstrated a fantastic ability to negotiate and find resolutions to difficult, complex issues, particularly within the insurance field. His understanding of insurance matters became clearly evident with his involvement in the Quackenbush hearings."

Tom's focus as chairman has included promoting equality and fairness related to insurance issues. Tom's commitment to promoting a consumer friendly insurance environment while ensuring access to all Californians is a top priority. "It's issues like workers' compensation, health insurance and auto insurance that help dictate quality of life in a state. These issues are important to Californians and are a priority in the Assembly Insurance Committee under my chairmanship," he says.

During his tenure as a legislator, he has worked to be a consensus builder: standing with employees and employers; working with consumers and business; and protecting local control while promoting more state involvement. As a result, he has successfully passed bills, with bipartisan support, that increased teacher pay, improved benefits for working men and women, improved health care for working families, and even provided cleaner water. He has the skills to make our insurance systems work.

Tom battled polluters in the San Gabriel Valley and cleaned up our drinking water as chair of a select legislative committee. He has also supported efforts to reduce air pollution and create "smart growth" environmental policies while maintaining economic balance.

He began his career in public service in 1993 when he was elected to the Montebello Unified School District Board of Education. In 1997 his colleagues elected him to serve as president of the Board. In 1998 the people of the 58th Assembly district chose Tom to represent them in the Legislature.

Tom lives in Montebello with his wife Marcella and their two children, Cameron and Victoria.