Xavier Becerra, a Democrat running for California governor, is propping up his decades-long career in public office as proof he can succeed in the state's highest office. The former health secretary under President Joe Biden struggled for months to break away from the crowded field.
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The future of a beloved dog statue on a New York warehouse is up in the airHot dogs and steaks and bacon, oh my! Meat raffles keep a beloved Midwest tradition alivePCOS is now called PMOS. What the name change means for careA photo captures President Trump and first lady awaiting British royals from rare White House angleThe World in PicturesDisease outbreak cuts Wyoming, Yellowstone wolf numbers to lowest level since reintroduction eraPCOS is now called PMOS.
What the name change means for careTrump administration widens Medicaid fraud crackdown to Florida, calling it a 'hotspot'Adults relive the musical camaraderie of their youth at band camps reprised for grown-upsUnderwater memorial to wrecked slave ship draws pilgrims seeking to connect with their rootsXi advierte a Trump que las diferencias sobre Taiwán podrían desencadenar un conflictoCalifornia gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif. , Monday, May 11, 2026.
California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra waits to be introduced during a campaign event in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 18, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA talks with reporters after appearing at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif. , Monday, May 11, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA, is hugged by a supporter from the Labor International Union of North America, at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif.
, Monday, May 11, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks during a campaign event in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 18, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif. , Monday, May 11, 2026.
California gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif. , Monday, May 11, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra waits to be introduced during a campaign event in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 18, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra waits to be introduced during a campaign event in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 18, 2026.
California gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA talks with reporters after appearing at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif. , Monday, May 11, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA talks with reporters after appearing at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif. , Monday, May 11, 2026.
California gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA, is hugged by a supporter from the Labor International Union of North America, at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif. , Monday, May 11, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate,Xavier Becerra, D-CA, is hugged by a supporter from the Labor International Union of North America, at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif. , Monday, May 11, 2026.
California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks during a campaign event in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 18, 2026. California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks during a campaign event in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 18, 2026. SACRAMENTO, Calif.
— Democrat Xavier Becerra is counting on his decades-long public career to catapult him into the California governor’s office, but that lengthy political resume has also given his critics fodder to question his competence in the Becerra spent more than 35 years in public office, including with a leadership role in the U.S. House, as California’sfirst year of Becerra’s campaign. But with voting underway ahead of the June 2 primary, he appears to be benefiting from a dramatic shake-up afterfrom the race.
Becerra has since won endorsements from influential labor groups and Latino state leaders, and his once anemic fundraising has swelled. He’s been the prime target of attacks during debates, indicating his Democratic rivals see him as the candidate with momentum.
“He has this breadth of experience that none of the other candidates have,” said Matt Barreto, faculty director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Voting Rights Project, which Becerra partnered with in a recent lawsuit. “What that means is that he has the ability to portray himself to the voters as having been through the fight. ”But some Biden administration alumni have questioned Becerra’s record as health and human services secretary.
His rivals have spotlighted theof Becerra’s former chief of staff, who pleaded guilty to stealing Becerra’s campaign funds. Though Becerra hasn’t been implicated, Democratic Katie Porter this week called him “too much of a risk. ”“We’re going to talk about the truth and we’re going to move forward,” he told reporters this week. Becerra points to his role as California’s attorney general during President Donald Trump’s first term to cast himself as an experienced fighter against an imposing federal government.
He was at the center of the state’s emergence as the so-called resistance, filing more thanSeveral voters at a recent Becerra rally in Sacramento pointed to his roles in various levels of government as reason to support him. Becerra “knows how to navigate through the complexities of running a government,” said Ruben Hoyos, who voted for Becerra despite being more aligned with Like his rivals, he’s made affordability a central piece of his platform.
Becerra has promised to declare a state of emergency to deal with the high costs of living and housing shortages. He says that would allow him to freeze home insurance rates as Californians struggle to obtain orMost candidates running for insurance commissioner argue a governor can’t legally do that because the insurance industry is regulated by an elected commissioner. Becerra insists he would have that authority.
“I’d be willing to go to court to tell you that I could call that freeze,” Becerra said in a recent debate. In Congress, he helped pass the Affordable Care Act and defended it against Republican attacks as California’s attorney general. He’s also known for championing abortion rights and has the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. But after previously supporting eliminating private health insurance in favor of a government-run system, he has appeared to change his position.
Pressed by rivals to give a clear stance, he said he’s focused on getting more people covered. Becerra’s tenure as the federal health secretary has been under a microscope.who arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2021, most fleeing violence, poverty or the effects of natural disasters in Central America.
The children were processed in tents before being taken to emergency shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services, some of which were criticized by child welfare advocates as havingin 2023 found that the health department failed to thoroughly vet sponsors, and many of the children went on to work exploitative jobs. It also found Becerra pushed to move children through the system faster and that the agency could not reach tens of thousands of minors after they left federal care.
Steyer has argued the federal government “lost” children on Becerra’s watch. Historically, the federal governmentBecerra has called the criticism “Trump talking points. ” Some California immigrant rights groups and members of the Biden administration have defended Becerra’s record. During the COVID-19 pandemic, meanwhile, Becerra was largely out of the spotlight, with others like Dr. Anthony Fauci acting as a face of the administration.
Xochitl Hinojosa, a former spokesperson in Biden’s Department of Justice, said on CNN earlier this month that she did not have faith in Becerra’s leadership abilities. The race to replace terming-out Gov. Gavin Newsom has been unsettled, with top state Democrats urging lower polling candidates to drop out of the race. That initially included Becerra.
But after Swalwell’s scandal, Becerra’s campaign has highlighted his understated demeanor in an effort to appeal to voters looking for a drama-free choice. When Becerra and other candidates of color were excluded from a planned debate due to low polling and fundraising, Latino creator Jay Gonzalez invited them to speak to his followers. Becerra took him up. Gonzalez has since been hired by the campaign.
Other creators are encouraging their followers to back Becerra and showing up at his rallies. Some of Becerra’s social media refers to him as “Tío Xavier,” which is Spanish for “Uncle Xavier,” portraying him as a familiar face voters can trust. Working to mobilize Latinos — the largest ethnic group in California — could be a worthwhile strategy, said Kim Nalder, director of the Project for an Informed Electorate at California State University, Sacramento.
Becerra, if elected, would be California’s first Latino governor since the late 1800s.
“There’s some evidence that folks — if they have choices that are close like in a primary — will choose based on identity groups, sometimes,” she said.
Joe Biden Eric Swalwell Tom Steyer Xavier Becerra Donald Trump U.S. Democratic Party General News Domestic News 2026 Elections Elections Gavin Newsom Hispanics Katie Porter Matt Barreto U.S. News Political Debates Xochitl Hinojosa Politics Ruben Hoyos Anthony Fauci Jay Gonzalez U.S. News
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