Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who served as former President Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services secretary, is gaining new traction in California’s crowded race for governor.
His catapult to the top tier came after former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s epic fall from grace earlier this month following allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.
Becerra had been stuck in the low single digits as he sought to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) in a race that at one point featured as many as 60 candidates. Swalwell’s departure reshaped the field, injecting new momentum into Becerra’s campaign and boosting his fundraising. His team says it has pulled in 20,000 donations over the past 10 days, with 97% from first-time contributors.
Endorsements have followed. State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and 14 other Democratic lawmakers backed Becerra, with Rivas arguing he is best positioned to protect California from President Donald Trump’s policies. Becerra, who served as California attorney general from 2017 to 2021, built a national profile during that time by filing 122 lawsuits against Trump’s first administration.
Democrats remain divided among Becerra, billionaire Tom Steyer, former Rep. Katie Porter, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan ahead of the June 2 primary. Without Swalwell on the ballot, Becerra has gained 15 points among Democratic voters — an uptick that has not been matched by Steyer or Porter.
“It’s pretty clear that Steyer and Porter have essentially hit their ceilings,” Veteran political strategist Garry South told the Washington Examiner. “Despite spending north of $130 million dollars — way more than has ever been spent in a California primary — Steyer is still in the teens. And Porter has seen the biggest decline in the polls since the beginning of any candidate, and has no money to fuel a rise.”
South credited Becerra’s campaign for running “a smart campaign, emphasizing his service as attorney general, all the times he sued Trump in the first term, and his stint as HHS secretary. Democrats have obviously taken to his message as a Trump fighter, and leading the federal agency dealing with health care, still a top issue for Democrats.”
But Democratic strategist Seamus Love cautioned that the race is far from settled.
“As long as Katie Porter and Matt Mahan stay in the field, Becerra is crowded by other establishment Democrats,” he told the Washington Examiner. “Even if they drop out, I believe Steyer has staying power– both financially and through his platform. Steyer’s background might seem out of touch with everyday Californians, but his message is spot on with where the Democratic party is heading into the midterms– a swing toward a more progressive vision.”
Despite Becerra’s gains, Republicans Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco remain the overall front-runners.
California’s all-party primary is June 2. If no candidate clears 50%, the top two finishers will advance to a Nov. 3 runoff — a scenario that has worried Democrats, who fear a splintered field could hand both slots to Republicans.
State party chairman Rusty Hicks reiterated that concern this week.
“Ballots are in the hands of voters in roughly two weeks, and the clock is ticking for candidates to do what is best for California in this historic moment,” he said. Hicks had previously asked for candidates to “take an honest look at the viability of their campaigns,” especially those still in the single digits. On Monday, former state controller Betty Yee announced she was suspending her campaign. Yee, who had pitched herself in recent days as the anti-drama or “boring Betty” candidate, lagged in fundraising and failed to connect with voters.
Newsom, who is expected to run for president in 2028, has been reluctant to throw his support behind a candidate in the primary, despite being urged by party supporters to step in or at least impose some order in a race that risks becoming chaotic.
Trump has already endorsed Hilton, posting on social media that he had known the London-born-and-raised Hilton for years and called the conservative commentator “a truly fine man” who could turn around a state beset with notoriously high taxes. California, Trump wrote, “has gone to hell.” Trump also highlighted many of the state’s problems and blamed Newsom for each of them. He emphasized high crime rates and taxes and noted that Californians are relocating to other states to escape those burdens.
The state’s last Republican governor was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who left office in 2011.
At a 90-minute debate Wednesday featuring the top six candidates, Becerra leaned on a line from his latest ad — “the governor’s office is no place for on-the-job training” — aimed at Steyer, who is tied with him in the latest party poll despite never holding elected office, as well as Hilton.
“It’s interesting to watch someone who has served as a talking head on a Fox News program telling us how government should run when he never has run any government in his life,” Becerra said.
He also targeted Porter after she criticized his plans as lacking in detail.
“That’s very rich to hear from someone who’s never had to actually run a government,” he said, adding that he has managed budgets larger than the state’s.
Porter served three terms in Congress.
