Former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announces run for governor
Xavier Becerra, a Sacramento native who served as California attorney general and secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Biden administration, announced Wednesday that he is joining a crowded race to run for governor.
“California is at a crossroads. From housing to health care, childcare to college, working families are facing an affordability crisis. The California Dream is slipping away,” he said in a campaign announcement. “I’m running for governor to fight for that dream, to build a stronger, affordable California for everyone, and to take on bullies who get in our way.”
Becerra is a C.K. McClatchy High School graduate who served a term in the California Legislature before a long tenure in Congress, where he represented parts of Los Angeles for more than 20 years. He was elected attorney general in 2016, and in that role, sued the first Trump administration more than 100 times.
“Whether defending workers against wage theft or parents in need of a hospital for their child, standing up for Dreamers or fighting for clean air and water, I remember my mother and father,” Becerra said. “I’m always driven by the California values that gave a construction and clerical worker, immigrants to America, a chance to earn their dream.”
“Now, it’s time to take on California’s biggest challenges — tackling skyrocketing prices, keeping our streets and businesses safe, and growing the economic pie for the next generation of hardworking Californians.”
Becerra became the first Latino secretary of the health and human services department when Joe Biden appointed him in 2021. He helped oversee the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and worked to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced Becerra after President Donald Trump’s 2024 win. In his first months at the department, Kennedy has slashed more than 10,000 jobs and forced the departure of the country’s top vaccine official.
“We need a leader who will reward hard work, innovation and endurance again,” Becerra said. “We need a leader who has rolled up his sleeves as a construction worker, an executive and a lawmaker. I’m that leader, and as governor I’ll be ready to build a California that’s rising again.”
Becerra joins a packed field of former legislators who are running to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2026 when he terms out. Former state Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins and former U.S. Senate hopeful Katie Porter have both launched gubernatorial campaigns. On the Republican side, Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco hopes to bring conservative leadership to the Golden State.
This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 6:15 AM.
