SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — 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 race's closing weeks.
Becerra spent more than 35 years in public office, including with a leadership role in the U.S. House, as California's attorney general, and as former President Joe Biden's health
secretary.
“The governor’s office is not a place with training wheels,” he's said repeatedly.
That message didn't appear to resonate with voters during the first 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 after Democrat Eric Swalwell's exit from 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.
Some observers say Democrats are gravitating to Becerra as a perceived safe choice.
“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 the federal indictment of 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.”
Becerra has dismissed criticism as campaign mudslinging.
“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 than 120 legal actions on everything from immigration to climate policy.
Several 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 billionaire Tom Steyer 's progressive platform.
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 or afford coverage as the state deals with worsening wildfires.
Most 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.
“Californians don’t care what you call it, so long as they have affordable health care," he said.
Becerra's tenure as the federal health secretary has been under a microscope.
Steyer has repeatedly hit Becerra over his handling of the influx of unaccompanied migrant children 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 having inadequate conditions. They would then be placed with a family member, relative or sponsor.
A New York Times investigation in 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 government has not tracked unaccompanied children once they are released to the care of an adult.
Becerra 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.
“He was not effective in government," she said.
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.
Becerra embraced TikTok early with a focus on Spanish-speaking voters. 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.
