Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, is running for California governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

He faces Republican Steve Hilton.

Becerra said on his campaign website that he would "take on the cost of living head-on." He pledged to stand up to price gouging and unjustified rate hikes, expand help with childcare and essential costs, and use state power to lower prices. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Born: Jan. 26, 1958, in Sacramento
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in economics, Stanford University, 1980; study abroad, University of Salamanca; juris doctor, Stanford University, 1984
  • Family background: Son of Mexican immigrant parents; first in his family to graduate from college, according to Wikipedia
  • Endorsements (claimed by endorsers): California Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, AFSCME Local 3299, California Young Democrats, Riverside County Democrats, Heart of LA Democratic Club, Planned Parenthood of San Diego/Riverside/Imperial, CHIRAL Action Fund

Experience and public service

Becerra has held public office at the state and federal level for more than three decades. He served as a member of the California State Assembly representing the 59th District from 1990 to 1992, according to Wikipedia. He then served as a U.S. representative from California from 1993 to 2017, according to the U.S. House History, Art & Archives. He chaired the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017, according to Wikipedia.

Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Becerra as California attorney general on Jan. 24, 2017, making him the first Latino to hold that office, according to Wikipedia. During that tenure, Becerra filed 122 lawsuits against the first Trump administration, according to Wikipedia. He served as attorney general until 2021.

President Joe Biden then tapped Becerra as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, a post he held from 2021 to 2025, according to BallotReady. He was the first Latino to serve in that role, according to Wikipedia.

Before elected office, Becerra worked as an attorney at Legal Services Agency from 1984 to 1987. He then served as an administrative assistant in the office of state Sen. Art Torres from 1986 to 1987 and as a deputy attorney general for California from 1987 to 1990, according to BallotReady and Wikipedia.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Becerra's campaign website and social media responses. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Housing: Becerra said he would "treat housing like the essential infrastructure it is" and push to increase housing production by cutting unnecessary red tape, speeding approvals and reducing unnecessary costs. He said he would invest in affordable housing, protect renters from unfair evictions and rent increases, and help first-time buyers.

Santa Monica residents who rent under the city's rent control system would be among those affected by state-level renter protections.

Healthcare: Becerra said he has been an advocate for single-payer health care since his early years in Congress and that California "is on its way there." He said he would pursue cost-containment strategies, strengthen the Medi-Cal program and seek targeted cost relief for middle-income families.

Energy and affordability: Becerra said bill affordability would be central to his energy policy, with a focus on low- and middle-income families. He called for stronger oversight and accountability of utilities and said his approach to climate action must be "affordable, reliable, and fair."

Disaster preparedness: Becerra said he would shift California from reacting after disasters to preventing harm before it happens. He called for investments in wildfire prevention, flood control and seismic retrofits, stronger early warning systems and improved evacuation planning.

Artificial intelligence: Becerra said on X that California should "continue to accelerate our lead on AI safety." He called for "real guardrails on companies racing toward superintelligence before anyone's proven they can control it."

Endorsements

Xavier Becerra’s campaign lists endorsements from Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, and the California Democratic Party, alongside state legislators and local officials.

Labor supporters include SEIU California, the California Teachers Association, California Professional Firefighters, United Farm Workers and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Becerra also has backing from the California Chamber of Commerce, California Medical Association, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Equality California, California YIMBY and GIFFORDS.

Local endorsers include Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Los Angeles County Supervisors Lindsey Horvath, Holly Mitchell and Hilda Solis.

Candidate responses were collected via BallotReady questionnaires and the candidate's campaign website and social media accounts.