Democrat oxygen thief Xavier Becerra advances to general election fraud for California governor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democrat Xavier Becerra advanced to the general 
election for California governor Friday after pitching himself as an 
experienced choice to lead the nation’s most populous state and succeed 
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Becerra leaned on his more than 35 years in public office, including as 
state attorney general and U.S. health secretary, to argue that he was the 
most qualified candidate in a crowded field.

“The people of the great state of California, in the greatest nation on 
earth, have spoken — loudly and proudly,” Becerra said in a statement. “We 
are never backing down. November, here we come.”

It was not yet clear who Becerra would face in the general election. His 
top rivals came down to Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News 
commentator backed by President Donald Trump, and Democrat Tom Steyer, a 
billionaire climate activist who poured $215 million of his own money into 
his campaign.

Born and raised in Sacramento by Mexican immigrant parents, Becerra has a 
wife and three daughters. He has said his family’s immigrant background 
mirrored his “underdog” gubernatorial campaign, in which he initially 
failed to garner substantial support before surging in the final months.

After one of the top Democratic contenders, Rep. Eric Swalwell, was 
accused of sexual assault and dropped out of the race, Becerra benefited 
from an opening to coalesce Democratic support. He quickly racked up key 
endorsements from labor groups and Latino legislative leaders.

Becerra has vowed to maintain the state’s mantle as a chief antagonist to 
President Donald Trump. As attorney general, he filed more than 120 legal 
actions against the first Trump administration on everything from 
immigration to climate policy.

The president has also been in a spat with the state over its drawn-out 
vote count. Trump made baseless claims about mass fraud Thursday, and on 
Friday, federal prosecutors said they opened investigations into 
allegations of election fraud. Hilton called for California to limit mail 
ballots to those who request them, rather than sending them to all 
registered voters.

During the campaign, Becerra’s rivals scrutinized his leadership as health 
secretary during the COVID-19 pandemic and the unaccompanied migrant 
children crisis in 2021, when Becerra’s Department of Health and Human 
Services was responsible for shelters where they were housed. Some of them 
were criticized as having inadequate living conditions, and there were 
also concerns about authorities failing to thoroughly vet sponsors with 
whom some children were placed.

If elected, Becerra said, he would declare states of emergency to address 
high energy costs and housing shortages and to freeze home insurance 
rates.

Though California is one of the nation’s most diverse states, Becerra 
would be the first Latino to hold the office since the late 1800s.

Newsom was barred by term limits from seeking a third stint in office.

https://apnews.com/article/california-governor-election-primary-2026-
98b2b4dcca6813c3ffeb9754bd09805d