The 1990 California Insurance Commissioner election occurred on November 6, 1990, with the primary elections taking place on June 5, 1990. The Democratic nominee, John Garamendi, defeated the Republican nominee, Huntington Beach mayor Wes Bannister. Garamendi was the first person elected to the position of Insurance Commissioner due to the passage of Proposition 103 in 1988. Proposition 103 changed the Insurance Commissioner position from a governor-appointed position to an elected position.