Official to Run for Insurance Post

Hal Brown, a Marin County supervisor who is a first cousin to former Gov. Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr., has announced his candidacy for state insurance commissioner in next year's elections.

Brown, 53, a Democrat, said he will run primarily on the theme that the incumbent commissioner, Republican Chuck Quackenbush, has not adequately protected consumers. He charged that Quackenbush's California Earthquake Authority, the state quake insurance agency, is already a failure.

He asserted that Quackenbush has failed to cut the cost of auto insurance sufficiently, thus failing to enforce the landmark Proposition 103 insurance initiative.

Brown has been a Marin County supervisor since 1983.

He is the first announced challenger to Quackenbush. Quackenbush has indicated that he will run for reelection.