Politics

JUST IN: Biden Cabinet Official Announces Bid For California Governor

Published

3 days ago

April 2, 2025

Xavier Becerra, who previously served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services during the Biden Administration, as well as attorney general of California, officially announced his candidacy for governor of the state on Tuesday.

In a campaign announcement video released on his social media account, Becerra claimed he could tackle a number of the most important issues to Californians, including surging costs in healthcare, education, housing and energy. He also claimed that he “took on Big Pharma” during his tenure as HHS secretary, even though the Biden Administration mandated vaccines for federal workers and cozied up with Big Pharma firms such as Pfizer and Moderna.

Becerra recently told the New York Times that he had no regrets over the Biden Administration’s stringent COVID-19 policies and vaccine mandates, saying they were “absolutely” warranted. He went on to compare the mandates — which cost thousands of government workers and U.S. service members to lose their jobs — to seatbelt laws.

Becerra also drew criticism during his tenure as HHS secretary for losing track of more than 10,000 migrants and illegal aliens who were transported to the U.S. under Biden’s effectively open border policy. HHS is responsible for controlling the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Prior to his tenure under the Biden Administration, Becerra served as attorney general of California. Like many Democrat attorneys general, he spent much of his time suing the Trump Administration, even as crime skyrocketed in the state.

Becerra joins an increasingly crowded Democrat field that includes former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, current Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Democratic Party vice chair Betty Yee.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has also long been linked to the race and is widely expected to become the favorite should she announce her candidacy. In the immediate aftermath of the 2024 election, Harris’ advisors were divided over pursuing another White House bid or running for governor of California. Harris’ camp is reportedly encouraged by strong fundraising numbers after she became the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee last summer.

When asked about Harris’ potential candidacy, Becerra stated that he intends to stay in the race regardless of whether the former vice president decides to run or not.

While the eventual Democratic Party nominee is sure to be a hefty favorite in the 2026 election, recent polling has suggested that California voters are increasingly open to change. One recent poll from David Wolfson, a national Pollster and Faculty Lecturer at Columbia University’s Political Analytics Graduate Program, found that 48 percent of California voters would be “open” to supporting a Republican candidate for governor next fall.

The poll revealed a number of troubling signs for the Democratic Party when breaking down the results further. A large majority of voters, 83 percent, agreed that gas prices are way too high in California. The answer has largely been interpreted as an indictment of the state’s energy policies, as 69 percent of respondents said Democrat leaders have not done enough to bring down energy costs.

An additional 71 percent of likely voters believe Governor Newsom and legislative leaders have not done enough to bring down sky-high costs of living