Democrat Xavier Becerra advanced to the general election for California governor, pitching his long public service and vowing to keep fighting President Donald Trump. His campaign also faced scrutiny over his record as U.S. health secretary during COVID-19 and
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On election night, Xavier Becerra stepped forward with a message aimed at a state that has long tested every promise it makes to its own people.
“I am ready to lead the fight to uphold California’s promise to make sure we have the governance worthy of our gifts,” the Democrat said after advancing to the general election for governor.
Becerra’s run, once treated like an afterthought in a crowded field, surged in the final months. He cast himself as the experienced choice to lead what is often described as the nation’s most populous state. leaning heavily on more than 35 years in public office. including time as California’s attorney general and as U.S. health secretary.
His pitch to voters is rooted in confrontation with the Trump administration. As attorney general. Becerra filed more than 120 legal actions against the first Trump administration. taking on issues ranging from immigration to climate policy. In his view. that record wasn’t a chapter from the past—it was proof he could keep California positioned as a chief antagonist to President Donald Trump.
During the campaign, that strategy met sharp scrutiny. Rivals focused on Becerra’s leadership during two moments that still sting in California politics and beyond.
One was the COVID-19 pandemic, when he served as health secretary. The other was the unaccompanied migrant children crisis in 2021. when Becerra’s Department of Health and Human Services was responsible for shelters where those children were housed. Some shelters were criticized for having inadequate living conditions. There were also concerns about authorities failing to thoroughly vet sponsors with whom some children were placed.
Becerra acknowledged the stakes of the state’s daily pressures in his general-election pitch. If elected, he said he would declare states of emergency to address high energy costs and housing shortages, and he would freeze home insurance rates.
There is also a historic edge to the race. California’s governors have mostly been white men, and Becerra would be the first Latino to hold the office since the late 1800s.
As the race moves into the general election. voters will be weighing two visions of what California needs most: the experience Becerra says equips him to fight on the national level. and the record opponents say demands answers—especially over the federal responsibilities tied to the pandemic and to the children caught in the 2021 migrant crisis.
Xavier Becerra California governor general election Sacramento Trump attorney general health secretary COVID-19 unaccompanied migrant children energy costs housing shortages home insurance rates