Xavier Becerra
Biden's HHS secretary returning to California politics.
Official campaign site ↗Becerra argues that with Trump back in the White House, California needs a governor who has already managed a federal agency and litigated against the Trump administration.
A 12-term member of Congress and former chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Becerra became California's first Latino attorney general before serving four years as Biden's health secretary. He is the only candidate with cabinet-level executive experience and is leaning hard into healthcare and immigration messaging. After Eric Swalwell's April exit he consolidated mainstream and Latino support, surging from single digits to a tie for first by late May.
- +Surged from single digits to co-frontrunner in late-May polling
- +Only candidate with cabinet-level executive experience
- +Strong Latino base, bilingual appeal, and labor/healthcare trust
- −Softest support of the three leaders — Emerson found only ~52% of his backers 'definitely' committed
- −Mixed reviews of his HHS tenure during the COVID vaccine rollout
- −Shares the Latino vote with Villaraigosa
Where Becerra stands on the eight issues
Housing & Cost of Living
SupportsSupports leveraging federal LIHTC and HUD funding alongside state production goals; less focused on local zoning fights.
Homelessness
SupportsWants to integrate Medi-Cal behavioral health coverage with permanent supportive housing — an extension of his HHS work on CalAIM.
Climate & Environment
SupportsPromises to use state legal authority to defend EV rules and Clean Air Act waivers from federal preemption attempts.
Healthcare
Strongly supportsHis signature lane: protect ACA enrollment, lock in Medi-Cal expansion to undocumented adults, push prescription drug price negotiation.
Education
SupportsSupports continued Cal Grant expansion and protects in-state tuition access for undocumented students.
Public Safety
MixedAs AG ran investigations into police shootings; supports modest sentencing rebalancing on retail theft.
Immigration
Strongly supportsPledges to immediately revive the AG playbook against federal deportation, family-separation, and asylum-restriction policies.
Economy & Taxes
SupportsBacks apprenticeship expansion and small-business tax relief; supportive of unionization rights.
