Another prominent Democrat has thrown his name into the 2026 race to succeed Gavin Newsom as California’s governor.
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced his candidacy on Wednesday.
“California is at a crossroads. From housing to healthcare, childcare to college, working families are facing an affordability crisis. The California Dream is slipping away,” Becerra said in a statement.
The 67-year-old is a born and raised Sacramento native who has served as attorney general for California and, most recently, as the nation’s top health official in the Biden administration.
Becerra becomes one of the more than a dozen candidates who have officially declared a run for California’s governorship in 2026.
Notable Democrats who have already declared they’re running include former state Sen. Toni Atkins, current Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former U.S. House Rep. Katie Porter, current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond, former LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and California Democratic Party vice chair Betty Yee.
Only a handful of Republicans have announced they will be running for California governor, including Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Former Vice President and 2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ name has also surfaced as a possible gubernatorial candidate. While a recent poll has shown she would enjoy wide support, Harris has not announced if she will enter the race.
Becerra’s tenure as California attorney general coincided with Trump’s first term as president. Becerra has touted the number of times he sued the Trump administration – 120, by his count.
“Whether defending workers against wage theft or looking out for families in need of a hospital for their kids, standing up for DREAMers or fighting for clean air and water, I’ve always been driven by the California values instilled in me by my parents – a clerical and construction worker, both immigrants to America – who had the chance to earn their dream,” Becerra stated in his candidacy announcement.
Becerra is a Stanford Law School alum and was formerly a state Assembly representative as well as a U.S. House representative. He also served as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
