All articles tagged with #becerra
With under two weeks until the June primary, Xavier Becerra gains momentum in California’s governor race, boosted by endorsements and positive chatter after Swalwell’s exit, while Steve Hilton casts Chad Bianco as the GOP’s main threat and warns that voting for Bianco would effectively yield two Democrats in the top two.
A state Democratic Party poll shows Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra effectively tied heading into the June 2 California primary, boosted by Hilton’s Trump endorsement and Becerra’s surge after Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out amid misconduct allegations; billionaire Tom Steyer’s heavy advertising hasn’t toppled Becerra, and with California’s top-two primary system, either Democrat or Republican could reach the November ballot as voters increasingly focus on the race.
The sixth and final California governor debate produced no decisive momentum: polls show no candidate breaking into a clear lead, and analysts say the field remains wide open with Becerra the main target of attacks, Steyer and Hilton as the other viable contenders, Porter delivering a clearer policy voice but too late to shift the race, and Mahan/Bianco largely underwhelming. The exchange underscored a nostalgic, recycled campaign tone and left Californians with limited clarity about a path forward, making consultants the likely winners and voters the losers.
Xavier Becerra's rapid ascent in California's gubernatorial race has stunned former Biden aides, who question his preparedness but acknowledge his political deftness. As polls push him to the front in a lackluster field, the development underscores voters' pragmatism and the unlikely prospect of a Cabinet member becoming California's governor.
Seven California governor candidates faced CNN in Monterey Park, trading sharp lines on housing affordability, energy, AI, healthcare, and immigration. Xavier Becerra touted his experience and readiness to fight the Trump administration, Antonio Villaraigosa pressed for reform, Steve Hilton attacked Democratic policies, Tom Steyer pushed tax reforms and anti‑corporate stands, and Chad Bianco defended his law‑enforcement record while keeping questions about his Oath Keepers ties in play. The lively debate highlighted policy divides as mail ballots arrive and the field narrows in the race.
Former HHS secretary Xavier Becerra surged to the front of California’s crowded governor race after Swalwell’s exit, but is drawing renewed backlash from progressive critics over immigration handling, oil money donations, and his stance on single-payer health care, as Steyer and Porter attack his establishment credentials ahead of the June 2 top-two primary amid late fundraising and debates over his record.
With Eric Swalwell out of the California governor race, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is gaining traction as Democrats look for a unifying candidate to prevent a potential general-election shutout.
Xavier Becerra is gaining steam in California’s governor race, buoyed by high-profile endorsements (including Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas) and a recent poll bump that put him level with Tom Steyer after Eric Swalwell dropped out; his fundraising has surged with over $1 million raised on ActBlue in a week from mostly first-time donors, signaling a growing grassroots movement ahead of the June 2 primary.
A new Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey of the June 2026 California governor primary shows Democrat Xavier Becerra gaining traction after Eric Swalwell’s withdrawal, with Becerra at 19% among Democrats (a 15-point lift without Swalwell on the ballot) behind Tom Steyer (20%) and Katie Porter (15%); on the Republican side Hilton leads with 48% to Bianco’s 40%, 23% of voters are undecided, and the economy remains the top issue at 41%.
Democratic California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra blasted USC and ABC for a March 24 debate that would exclude all candidates of color, calling the eligibility criteria biased; USC and the Center for the Political Future say the selection weighed polling and fundraising data, with six invitees including late entrant Matt Mahan, while Becerra and other excluded candidates condemn the process as discriminatory and unfair in a crowded race ahead of the June primary.