Xavier Becerra’s path to the California governor’s mansion just got a whole lot clearer. The Democratic candidate advanced to November’s general election Friday after a primary campaign that proved sometimes the long game beats the big names and bigger wallets.
Born and raised in Sacramento by Mexican immigrant parents, Becerra spent more than 35 years building credibility in public service—first as a state attorney general, then as U.S. health secretary. That resume of experience became his calling card in a crowded field where household names and deep pockets competed for attention. While billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer poured $215 million of his own money into his campaign and Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump, jockeyed for position, Becerra methodically built support among labor groups and Latino legislative leaders. His underdog campaign gained momentum after Eric Swalwell, one of the top Democratic contenders, dropped out following sexual assault accusations—an opening Becerra seized to consolidate Democratic backing.
The numbers tell the story: as of Friday’s count, Becerra held first place, though the second spot remained too close to call with millions of ballots still outstanding. Hilton was at 26.4 percent, while Steyer trailed with 21 percent—separated by more than 300,000 votes with roughly 3 million ballots unprocessed. The state’s mail-heavy voting system means California’s final tally won’t be complete until the following Tuesday, keeping the identity of Becerra’s fall opponent uncertain even as he celebrated his primary win.
If elected in November, Becerra would make history. California, one of the nation’s most diverse states, has never elected a Latino governor since the late 1800s. Becerra’s stated platform includes declaring states of emergency to tackle high energy costs and housing shortages, plus freezing home insurance rates—issues that hit Sacramento and the rest of the state’s wallet.
His record also includes filing more than 120 legal actions against the first Trump administration on everything from immigration to climate policy, a track record that signals his intention to position California as a chief antagonist to the Trump administration. That confrontational stance has already drawn fire from President Trump, who made baseless claims of widespread fraud Thursday and complained about California’s drawn-out vote count—criticism Becerra’s opponents like Hilton have leveraged by calling for stricter limits on mail ballots.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the unaccompanied migrant children crisis of 2021 have also shadowed Becerra’s record. As health secretary, he oversaw shelters for migrant children facing criticism for inadequate conditions and insufficient vetting of sponsors—issues his rivals used to chip away at his credibility. Whether those vulnerabilities will resurface in the general election depends partly on who emerges from the Democratic-versus-Republican showdown still unfolding in California’s ballot-counting infrastructure.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
