California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the first LGBTQ person to win election to statewide office in the Golden State, officially declared Friday his intention to seek a second four-year term in 2022.
The gay former state lawmaker from Los Angeles has faced a bumpy first term with self-imposed gaffes and continues to be a lightning rod for criticism from various groups.
But he also has seemed to grow into his role since being sworn into office in January 2019, when he was hailed as "our own Latino Harvey Milk" by former state lawmaker Art Torres, who came out of the closet in 2009 after leading the California Democratic Party as its longtime chair.