Former congressman, state attorney general, and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is jumping into the crowded race for California governor.
Becerra said he is running to “pull Californians out of a worsening affordability crisis and get our state back on track.”
“You need a leader who can be tough. And I've been in those tough fights,” Becerra said in an announcement video obtained by Spectrum News.
“Whether it was as a member of Congress when we helped draft and pass the Affordable Care Act, when I was attorney general for our great state of California and I took on the Trump administration the first time – sued him over 100 times and won – or whether as secretary of health and human services, I took on the pharmaceutical industry, and we negotiated lower prescription drug prices for seniors under Medicare.”
The video, which lasts just over a minute, lacks the grandeur of some other candidates' campaign launch ads, something Becerra acknowledges.
“Honestly, look, speeches and fancy announcements, those can wait. Right now, what can't wait is that California dream. Real change comes with our participation. I'm looking forward to seeing you because together we will rebuild the California dream,” said the former secretary.
Becerra is likely to lean into his 35 years as a policy maker at the state and federal level. He was first elected to the state Assembly in 1990 before being elected to the House Representatives in 1992.
His first stint in Washington lasted from 1993 to 2017, when he rose through the ranks to become Democratic Caucus Chair from 2013 to 2017. Becerra gave up his House seat to become California attorney general. He held that job until he was nominated by then President Joe Biden to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary, the first Latino to hold that post.
As he launches his campaign, Becerra will also likely lean into his experience battling the first Trump administration in court, as the Golden State has continued to find itself in the crosshairs of the president and his allies. Becerra argued the landmark California v. Texas case before the U.S. Supreme Court and won, protecting the Affordable Care Act. At the Department of Health and Human Services, he led historic negotiations to bring down the costs of prescription drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act.
The announcement of his campaign Wednesday comes as the Trump administration is making sweeping changes to the department he ran until just a few months ago, including laying off thousands of employees. The department’s San Francisco office is set to be shuttered and relocated, as Politico reported Tuesday, which could mean hundreds of jobs lost.
The dismantling of the agency appeared to be weighing on his mind this week.
“This isn’t just a budget cut or a policy failure – it’s a prescription for a man-made disaster and a direct attack on the programs that protect and uplift our loved ones, neighbors, and the most vulnerable people across our country,” said Becerra in a string of posts on X Tuesday. “Let’s be clear: I’m all for government efficiency, and I bet you are too. But these cuts are an assault on the health and safety of all Californians and all Americans.”
“This is our break-glass moment: it’s now up to each of us, state by state, to stand in the breach. We need to protect our families and neighbors, build out the safeguards for tomorrow, and carry ourselves with purpose – for one another and for the good of our nation,” he added, potentially alluding to Wednesday’s announcement.
Democrats are expected to easily hold the governor’s mansion, with registered Democrats outnumbering Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 in the state. Republicans have not won a statewide election in California in nearly two decades.
The race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has already drawn a large number of declared and likely candidates, though some analysts would argue the race could be completely upended if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run.
Becerra’s campaign tells Spectrum News that he plans to stay in the race – regardless if Harris decides to make her own run for the state's top office.
The Becerra campaign feels the former secretary’s vast experience gives him an edge over some of his fellow candidates. He received nearly 7.8 million votes in his last statewide election in 2018 when he was reelected as attorney general. Not only does he bring name recognition and a track record that spans three decades, but at Health and Human Services, Becerra oversaw a $1.9 trillion budget in 2024, 27% of the U.S.’s overall federal spending that fiscal year.
Declared Democratic candidates for California Governor include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Former State Controller Betty Yee, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, entrepreneur Stephen J. Cloobeck, former State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, business consultant Sharifah Hardie, entrepreneur Brandon Jones, construction manager Kyle Langford, business executive Leo Zacky, and former judge Jimmy Parker have declared intent to run.
Candidates have until March 2026 to declare their bid for office before the June 2026 primary. All candidates, regardless of party, will appear on the primary ballot, and the two candidates that receive the most votes will proceed to the general election.
