Xavier Becerra Announces Bid For California Governor

Xavier Becerra, former President Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, announced his candidacy for governor of California on Wednesday.

The 67-year-old Californian politician has been eyeing the post for at least a year and plans to make his time as HHS director the centerpiece of his campaign, according to Politico. In his announcement video, Becerra cited his time as attorney general of California, a congressman representing downtown Los Angeles, and HHS Secretary as proof that he has been in difficult political fights. (RELATED: Chuck Todd Issues ‘Warning’ To Kamala Harris About Political Future)

I’m running to be the next Governor of California.

As AG I took on Trump – and won. As HHS Secretary, I took on Big Pharma – and won. It’s time to do it again for California. Let’s rebuild the California Dream for everyone.

Join our team: https://t.co/pZsqE35Iku pic.twitter.com/G4ZRVRGHek

— Xavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) April 2, 2025

“I watched my parents — a construction worker and a clerical worker — achieve the California dream,” Becerra said. “Can we do that today, with this affordability crisis? Very tough. But we’ve taken on these tough fights. California has succeeded in those tough fights and become the economic engine of this country. We can do that, but you need a leader who can be tough.”

In late March, Becerra boasted about the amount of times he previously sued the Trump administration, and on Tuesday ahead of his announcement, he wrote a lengthy series of posts on X bemoaning the slashing of 10,000 HHS jobs under President Donald Trump.

“As the former Secretary of HHS, I’ve seen firsthand how critical agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH are to keeping Americans safe. That’s why I’m horrified by the Trump Administration and Republicans’ decision to slash critical positions across these key health agencies,” he said Tuesday.

As the former Secretary of HHS, I’ve seen firsthand how critical agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH are to keeping Americans safe. That’s why I’m horrified by the Trump Administration and Republicans’ decision to slash critical positions across these key health agencies. 1/8

— Xavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) April 1, 2025

Republicans previously accused the HHS secretary of failing to conduct proper background checks on illegal aliens and releasing these criminals into the public, Fox News reported. Becerra once lobbied for the state providing healthcare to illegal aliens, Politico reported. Republicans have also charged that under his stewardship of the agency, he bailed out hospitals that provided healthcare to illegal immigrants.

The Californian gubernatorial race is slated 2026. So far, nine Democrats and four Republicans have announced primary bids, including former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter and the state’s lieutenant governor, Eleni Kounalakis. Former Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly considering jumping into the race as well, and has set a deadline for herself to decide as she also mulls a 2028 presidential run.