Unexpected Backing for GOP Hopeful

For the first time, prominent consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfield is backing a Republican in the race for state insurance commissioner -- a move that may change the odds in the race.

Rosenfield, the author of 1988’s landmark Proposition 103 auto insurance initiative, has always been considered a Democratic ally. But the party’s candidate in the Nov. 7 election is Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, whom Rosenfield has criticized for trying to water down Proposition 103 while in the state Assembly.

Rosenfield also criticized Bustamante for taking $150,000 in campaign money from the insurance industry in the June primary race, although Bustamante later pledged to return the money.

Bustamante’s opponent, Republican Steve Poizner, is a wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneur who ran unsuccessfully for state Assembly in 2004.

“Mr. Poizner has, from Day 1, pledged not to accept campaign contributions from the insurance industry ... and he has developed an elaborate screening system in order to keep the promise,” Rosenfield said in a statement. “Moreover, Mr. Poizner has pledged not to accept industry money while he is commissioner.”

Bustamante spokesman Ryan Rauzon said the campaign was “shocked that Mr. Rosenfield would endorse a Republican politician.”

Rauzon acknowledged that Bustamante voted for an insurance-industry-sponsored bill to roll back parts of Proposition 103 but said he did so to protect constituents in his Central Valley district from rate hikes.

Bustamante can boast his own slew of endorsements, mostly from labor unions. But Rosenfield’s endorsement is a huge boost for Poizner because it gives him a pro-consumer seal of approval that would normally go to a Democratic candidate, said Democratic political strategist Darry Sragow.

“This is ‘man bites dog.’ It’s news,” Sragow said. “This is one of the rare instances with endorsements when maybe people will stand up and take notice.”

Rosenfield, head of the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, has offered to appear on Poizner’s television spots. Poizner, who is planning to spend $11 million on TV ads, said he was considering the offer.

The unexpected endorsement “should be very persuasive to a large number of undecided voters,” Republican strategist Joe Rodota said.

Lobbyists for the insurance industry said they were not surprised by the endorsement.

“He probably assumes that Poizner is going to win and wants to be on the side of a winner,” said Ken Gibson of the American Insurance Assn. in Sacramento. Gibson said he felt confident that Poizner, if elected, would treat his industry fairly.

Poizner said he was excited about “getting support from the chief watchdog for consumers of insurance.” The endorsement “provides strong evidence that I’m the one who has the integrity and the independence to do the right thing.”

Rosenfield said he didn’t expect to always agree with Poizner, but he praised him for promising to uphold consumer protections in Proposition 103 and to back initiatives begun by outgoing Democratic Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, including a rule that bars insurers from basing auto rates primarily on where a motorist lives.

marc.lifsher@latimes.com