Xavier Becerra joins the growth field of the highest candidates competing on behalf of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Xavier Becerra, former health secretary to President Joe Biden, hopes to become California’s next governor, he announced on April 2.
“California has successfully made these tough battles and has become the economic engine of the country,” he said. “We can do that, but you need a leader that may be tough.”
Before leading Biden’s pandemic response, the 67-year-old politician served in the state legislature from 1990 to 1992, spending 24 years as a US lawmaker representing Los Angeles and 24 years as California Attorney General from 2017 to 2021.
Becerra said California needs a “strict leader.”
“I was a member of Congress who helped us draft and pass the Affordable Care Act when we were the attorney general of California, and whether we were members of Congress who helped us to draft and pass the Affordable Care Act, and whether I first took over the Trump administration, or whether I challenged the pharmaceutical industry and negotiated low prescription drug prices under Medicare.
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Becerra filed more than 100 lawsuits against the first Trump administration, he said in a video Wednesday.
“The real change comes with us participating,” Becerra added. “We’re looking forward to seeing you as we’ll reconstruct our California dreams together.”
He was the first person in his family to complete a four-year degree. He received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Stanford University. He also received a law degree from Northern California Private University.
Becerra is married to Carolina Reyes and has three daughters.
Covid-19 work
Biden selected Becerra during the Covid-19 pandemic, overseeing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Food and Drug Administration, among others.
Health Secretary Xavier Becerra will speak at a press conference at HHS headquarters in Washington on June 28, 2022. He vowed to fight for the Californians in a video that announced his bid for the California governor’s seat on April 2, 2025. Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
The lawsuit filed on behalf of Paul Brandage in US District Court for the District of Columbia in January, claims he was injured by the Covid-19 vaccine and that Becerra was unable to include the vaccine in the national vaccine injury compensation program.
A nurse will fill the syringe in Waterford, Michigan on April 8, 2022. Former US Secretary of Health Xavier Beterra has approved the federal mandate of the Covid-19 vaccine. Emily Elconin/Reuters
A busy field
Becerra joins the growth field for governor candidates competing for top spots in California. The two candidates with the most votes in the primary will move to the 2026 general election regardless of their political affiliation.
Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) will speak at a rally in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington on June 22, 2023. She is one of the candidates for California governor in 2026. Drew Ander/Getty Images
Some of the well-known Democrats running to replace Governor Gavin Newsom include former Senator Katie Porter (D-Calif), former Senator Toni Atkins, Lieutenant Colonel Eleni Kunarakis, state school Tanny Thurmond, former mayor of LA Antonio Villaraigosa, former national controller Bett the Deporty Asia Veer the California Vita Young.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco will speak at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on May 15, 2024. Bianco, a Republican, is running for governor of California. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
And while official speculation has swirled around the possibility that it will run by former vice president Kamala Harris, he has not issued a formal statement about taking part in the race.
