Becerra advances to November, moves closer to becoming California’s first elected Latino governor

Veteran Democratic politician Xavier Becerra won one of the top two spots in California’s gubernatorial primary, according to the Associated Press; This puts him in prime position to win the November general election and make history as California’s first elected Latino governor.

“The people of the great state of California in the greatest nation on earth have spoken loudly and proudly,” Xavier Becerra said in a statement Friday. “We will not be bought. We will not be bullied. And we will never back down. November, here we come.”

Republican Steve Hilton, the former Fox News host, is also in second place and appears on the verge of securing the right to face Becerra in the November general election.

“Steve is already focused on November, traveling the state, meeting with voters and continuing to build a coalition of Californians who want change after 16 years of one-party rule,” Hilton spokesman Hector Barajas said.

Democrat Tom Steyer, a hedge fund founder and climate change activist, appears likely to come in third; It’s a disappointing end to a campaign that filled California’s television screens, social media pages and mailboxes, thanks to the billionaire spending $216 million of his own fortune.

Becerra’s victory was declared by the Associated Press on Friday evening, three days after the June 2 election; It was an indication of a competitive race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom and California’s lengthy vote-counting process. Hilton was ahead after the polls closed on Tuesday. He and Becerra were within a percentage point of each other Friday, but that could change as vote counting continues.

Although his fate has not yet been decided, Steyer has a very good chance of finishing in the top two.

Steyer spokesman Anthony York said, “Nothing changes for us. We’re waiting to see if there are enough votes to be counted to get Tom to a runoff.” “We knew since Tuesday that it was a matter of getting past Hilton. Today’s call won’t change that.”

Under California’s primary election system, only the two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary advance to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Becerra would enter the general election campaign with a significant lead over Hilton, as Democratic voters in California outnumbered Republicans by a nearly 2-to-1 margin; This is a clear reason why no GOP candidate has won a statewide race since 2006.

President Trump’s endorsement of Hilton helped solidify the support of Republican voters; This was crucial to his success in the primary but would likely hurt him in his matchup with Becerra. Nearly two-thirds of voters in the state want a governor who will oppose Trump’s policies, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Government Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times.

Becerra could make history by becoming the first Latino elected governor and the first person to lead the state in more than 150 years. The last time a Latino person held this position was 1875, then Lieutenant. Governor Romualdo Pacheco was elevated to fill a vacancy and served for 10 months.

“California has made history. Xavier Becerra’s run in the general election is a defining moment for both the state and the millions of Latino families who are instrumental in shaping the state’s future,” said Voto Latino Executive Director Beatriz Lopez. “California, home to the country’s largest Latino population, will once again demonstrate the decisive power of Latino voters.”

Although Latinos make up about 40% of the state’s population and are California’s largest ethnic group, they have historically had lower electoral participation and are underrepresented in government. Christian Arana, vice president of civic power and policy at the California-based Latino Community Foundation, said that while Becerra often speaks of his upbringing as the child of working-class Mexican immigrants, he must show he can serve those communities.

“There is a lot of excitement on the representation side,” Arana said. “You can have Latino representation, but whether that actually leads to tangible results for Latino communities, that’s what people want to know.”

Once reaching single digits in public polls along with other Democratic candidates, Becerra rose quickly and unexpectedly following the political death of former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin).

Becerra’s rise comes days after Swalwell withdrew from the race in April amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which he has denied. Becerra quickly consolidated support from Democratic leaders and allies, including House Speaker Robert Rivas and influential groups such as Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and the California Medical Assn.

But Becerra’s supporters and critics alike struggle to explain exactly how and why he is the main beneficiary of Swalwell’s downfall.

Becerra’s campaign highlights the timing of a major television and digital advertising push. The political ads began airing just before the allegations against Swalwell emerged, portraying Becerra as a calm, experienced leader with a track record against Trump and support from Young Democrat groups.

Steyer’s campaign hired an intelligence firm to investigate the online surge in Becerra’s favor and found that thousands of bot accounts were boosting Becerra on various social media platforms. Becerra’s campaign has denied any involvement and denied the influence of the fake accounts.

Political pundits describe this as the stars aligning for Becerra. In the wake of the Swalwell scandal, voters appear to be drawn to Becerra’s lengthy resume and stoic, thoughtful demeanor.

“He never overreacted. Even when he was attacked [during debates]”He was calm,” said Fernando Guerra, professor of Chicano Studies at Loyola Marymount University. “This gave the sense that he was a moderate even though he was actually a liberal, so he was able to appeal to liberals and moderates, not just Latinos.”

After Swalwell’s campaign collapsed, political think tank members advising the former congressman — many with ties to Newsom — began working for Becerra, including senior advisers Lindsey Cobia and Courtni Pugh and digital strategist Alf LaMont.

“Nothing was going right for him for a long time,” said Jason McDaniel, an associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University. “I just think people are looking for someone with a lot of experience who can win.”

Becerra’s first election victory was winning a seat in the State House in 1990. He served one term before successfully running for the Los Angeles congressional seat he held for 24 years.

Governor at that time. Jerry Brown appointed Becerra as state attorney general in 2017; he used that role with great success to challenge the Trump administration’s policies in the courts more than 100 times. Becerra, who helped craft the Affordable Care Act in Congress, championed it as attorney general, and President Biden nominated him to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The 68-year-old has faced criticism about his record leading the massive federal agency, particularly because of a New York Times investigation that found thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children were working dangerous jobs after being given to sponsors.

Some former Biden administration officials, many of whom are anonymous, also criticized Becerra’s leadership at the agency.

Still, Becerra’s supporters say the candidate’s experience, particularly in dealing with the Trump administration, makes him a candidate for California’s top job.

“He’s held some very important positions in government,” Labor leader Dolores Huerta said at Becerra’s election night party in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. “He’s qualified. He doesn’t need to go into learning mode.”

“He’s a legal scholar,” added David Dixon, a political science professor at Cal State Dominguez Hills and the brother of a longtime Becerra aide. “When our Constitution is threatened, we need people like him in positions of power to take back what we’ve lost now.”

Times staff writers Dakota Smith and Andrew Khouri contributed to this report.