--- title: What to Know About Xavier Becerra, an Unexpected Frontrunner in the California Gubernatorial Race description: Becerra has surged in the polls in the chaotic primary, in which more than 60 candidates are vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/xavier-becerra-california-gubernatorial-race-governor-primary/ author: Philip Wang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-06-02T18:24:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-06-02T18:28:34.072Z article:section: Politics og:title: What to Know About Xavier Becerra, an Unexpected Frontrunner in the California Gubernatorial Race og:description: Becerra has surged in the polls in the chaotic primary, in which more than 60 candidates are vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/xavier-becerra-california-gubernatorial-race-governor-primary/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfba8352a1accd964/6a1f18473e142ea7550f60f5/GettyImages-2278502841.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y0.00 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2278502841.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What to Know About Xavier Becerra, an Unexpected Frontrunner in the California Gubernatorial Race twitter:description: Becerra has surged in the polls in the chaotic primary, in which more than 60 candidates are vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfba8352a1accd964/6a1f18473e142ea7550f60f5/GettyImages-2278502841.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y0.00 ---  # What to Know About Xavier Becerra, an Unexpected Frontrunner in the California Gubernatorial Race  by [Philip Wang](https://time.com/author/philip-wang/)  ## Philip Wang Jun 2, 2026 6:24 PM UTC  California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks to supporters at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California on May 31, 2026. California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks to supporters at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California on May 31, 2026.Apu Gomes—Getty Images  by [Philip Wang](https://time.com/author/philip-wang/)  ## Philip Wang Jun 2, 2026 6:24 PM UTC Californians are heading to the polls on Tuesday to cast their [primary ballots](https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/california-primary-election-governor-results-when/) in the race to replace [Gov. Gavin Newsom](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/gavin-newsom/?filters=Leaders) as he approaches his term limit–mandated exit from the state’s top office. The tumultuous gubernatorial race in the Golden State has drawn [more than 60 candidates](https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2026-primary/cert-list-candidates.pdf), and the top of the field has seen [significant upheaval](https://time.com/article/2026/04/13/where-the-california-governor-race-stands-after-swalwell-s-exit/) as the race has [gone on](https://time.com/article/2026/05/14/california-governor-race-primary-election-becerra-steyer-hilton/). Just a few months ago, then-Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell was widely considered the frontrunner—before reports of multiple sexual assault allegations against him, which he denied, prompted him to end his campaign and resign from Congress. The collapse of Swalwell’s campaign rocked the crowded race, and left room for other candidates to surge in the polls. The latest [Emerson College poll](https://emersoncollegepolling.com/california-2026-poll-becerra-leads-steyer-and-hilton-toss-up-for-second-spot/), released on May 30, showed former Human and Health Services Secretary Xavier Becerra leading the primary race for Governor at 28%, followed by billionaire philanthropist [Tom Steyer](https://time.com/7335185/tom-steyer-california-governor-2026-billionaire-newsom/) at 22% and Trump-backed political commentator [Steve Hilton](https://time.com/article/2026/05/30/steve-hilton-california-governors-race/) at 21%. Just two months ago, Becerra was polling at just 5% in the primary in a [Berkeley/IGS Poll](https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2h95684f). The two candidates who secure the largest share of the vote in the primary on Tuesday, regardless of their party affiliation, will advance to the general election in November. **Read more:** [_How Does California’s ‘Jungle Primary’ Work?_](https://time.com/article/2026/06/01/california-governor-primary-jungle-top-two/) Here’s what to know about Xavier Becerra, who appears poised to claim one of those two spots. # Who is Xavier Becerra? Becerra was born in 1958 in Sacramento, California. He is a son of working-class Mexican immigrants and has three sisters. Becerra graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Stanford University and then a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School. He is the first person in his family to receive a college degree. Becerra first entered politics in 1990, when he ran for and won a seat in California State Assembly. After serving as a state representative for one term, he successfully ran for Congress in the Los Angeles area in 1993 and went on to hold the seat for 24 years. In 2017, Becerra was appointed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown to succeed Kamala Harris as California Attorney General after her election to the U.S. Senate. Becerra became the first Latino to serve in that position in the state. During his tenure as Attorney General, he filed [122 lawsuits](https://www.capradio.org/articles/2021/01/19/california-attorney-general-files-nine-lawsuits-in-one-day-as-trump-leaves-office/) against the first Trump Administration over immigrant rights, environmental protection, and reproductive rights. In 2021, he was tapped by the Biden Administration to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Politico reported Becerra was criticized by [members](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/07/xavier-becerra-california-governor-race-biden-officials-00909552?nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&nname=playbook&nrid=205f22c7-5c6a-4acd-9d5f-5f5ff4f940f5) of the Biden Administration for being “not effective” and not delivering results during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a claim Becerra refuted. # What is Becerra’s policy record? Becerra’s voting record across his more than three decades in public office have shown that he is largely aligned with the national Democratic platform. He has voted in support of [stricter gun control](https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2005534), [gay marriage](https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1996316), and [reproductive rights](https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/lawmaker/xavier-becerra/), among other issues. He has also advocated for the defense of immigrants’ rights, though he has faced criticism over his record on the issue. As HHS secretary, Becerra was criticized for how he handled migrant children who crossed the border unaccompanied during the Biden Administration. The New York _Times_ [reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/politics/xavier-becerra-migrant-children.html) that Becerra urged staff members to move unaccompanied children more quickly through shelters given the large number of children arriving from the border. HHS did not reach a third of released children in this period with a follow-up call. According to the _Times_ report, some children later died or were injured while working dangerous jobs. In response to the reporting, Becerra [said](https://x.com/eytanwallace/status/2054032619860619500?s=46) in an interview with reporters that he could not be held responsible for what happened to the children after they left federal custody. “What employers did after they \[the children\] left our jurisdiction, where the exploitation may have occurred, was not on my watch, ” Becerra said. # What has Becerra promised to do as Governor? One of the key campaign promises that Becerra has touted is that he would improve affordability. Becerra [said](https://x.com/XavierBecerra/status/2024306685364363424) on X that if elected, he would freeze utility rates and home insurance rates while searching for long-term solutions to bring the costs down. Home insurance rates in California are regulated by the state’s Department of Insurance, and any rate changes need to be approved by the department. Becerra has also [promised](https://x.com/XavierBecerra/status/2022071134293045651) that he would expand the down payment assistance program for first-time home buyers, although the details of how he would do so remain unclear. The current down payment assistance [program](https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/dream/#highlights) offers to pay up to $150,000 to first-generation home buyers in California and only needs to be paid back after homebuyers sell their home. In regard to homelessness, a key concern in the Golden State, Becerra has framed the issue as the result of policy failures in regards to both housing supplies and accountability. He told local news outlet [CalMatters](https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/05/ca-governor-candidates-homelessness/) that his goal if elected Governor would be to double the amount of housing built under Newsom, with a target of building 1.5 to 2 million new homes under his first term as Governor, while also saying that unhoused Californians “should not get to voluntarily stay on the street if help is available.” He did not go so far as to say homeless people should be arrested for refusing such help, however. On healthcare, Becerra said on his [campaign website](https://www.xavierbecerra2026.com/priorities/health-care/) that he would issue an Executive Order on his first day as Governor to maintain “coverage continuity for every Californian” affected by the federal cuts or rollbacks of Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. The Medicaid cut included in the One Big Beautiful Bill could take away up to 3.4 million Californians’ coverage, according to a [study](https://www.chcf.org/resource/how-massive-federal-cuts-will-create-unprecedented-challenges-medi-cal-patients-providers/) from the California Healthcare Foundation. It is unclear how Becerra is planning to keep all those people covered by Medi-Cal while balancing the state’s budget. On his campaign website, he also promised to lower drug prices by investing heavily in CalRx, a program through which the state either produces its own drugs or negotiates lower costs from pharmaceutical companies. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/xavier-becerra-california-gubernatorial-race-governor-primary/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/06/02/xavier-becerra-california-gubernatorial-race-governor-primary/"},"headline":"What to Know About Xavier Becerra, an Unexpected Frontrunner in the California Gubernatorial Race","datePublished":"2026-06-02T18:24:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-06-02T18:28:34.072Z","description":"Becerra has surged in the polls in California's chaotic gubernatorial primary race, in which more than 60 candidates are vying to succeed Gov. 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