Xavier Becerra Makes History as California's First Directly Elected Latino Governor

A Historic Victory in the West

The Associated Press declared Xavier Becerra the winner of the California gubernatorial race at 8 p.m. Tuesday, making him the state’s first directly elected Latino governor. The 68-year-old Democrat defeated Republican Steve Hilton, a conservative commentator and former British political strategist. Becerra, who spent more than 25 years in Congress, served as California’s attorney general and later as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration, and won an election that changed the state’s political direction.

This is not the first time a Latino has held the state’s highest office. Romualdo Pacheco assumed the governorship in 1875 after Gov. Newton Booth won a U.S. Senate seat. But Becerra’s victory marks a definitive and historic shift, placing him at the helm of the state during an era of intense political friction with the federal government. He takes office inheriting a slate of immense opportunities and profound challenges, from luring Hollywood back to preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games while grappling with the worst-in-the-nation unemployment and a relentless housing crisis.

Andrea Flores reports from Xavier Becerra's election night event in West Sacramento

Becerra Traces Roots in Sacramento

Becerra’s journey to the governor’s office is a classic California story, rooted in the working-class neighborhoods of Sacramento. He grew up in a 685-square-foot house with his parents and three sisters. His father, a Sacramento native who was reared in Mexico, worked on farms and in construction; his mother, also born in Mexico, held a clerical position.

“I didn’t run to make history,” Becerra told supporters at his election night party in West Sacramento. “I ran to make a difference for anyone and everyone who calls California home — whether you voted for me or not.” He paid tribute to his parents and the late labor icon Dolores Huerta before outlining his mission: “Deliver a California we can afford and defend a California we can’t afford to lose.”

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The Stakes of a New Era

Becerra’s win places a低调的 Democrat at the center of California’s bitter dispute with the Trump administration regarding immigration enforcement, healthcare funding, environmental protections, and social issues. For the first time, all three leaders who negotiate California’s behemoth budget—the governor, Assembly speaker, and state Senate president—come from working-class, immigrant backgrounds.

“When you’ve watched your parents and grandparents struggle to make ends meet, you bring a different perspective,” said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister). “If we do this right, history won’t remember us simply because we were the first. History is going to remember us because we made a difference. We want California to work for everybody.”

Xavier Becerra wins California Governor's race: AP projects

The Path to Power

Becerra’s path to the nomination was not a straightforward march. Initially, he struggled to energize support as a staid and experienced candidate in a crowded field. His campaign gained significant momentum only after explosive sexual assault allegations pushed a front-running Democrat out of the race, clearing the way for the candidate with a clean reputation to leap to the top of the ticket. He finished first in the top-two June primary.

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Hilton, his Republican opponent, conceded defeat just before 9:15 p.m. on election night, addressing about 800 supporters in Garden Grove. “We have a new governor of California,” he said. “I know it’s not the one you wished for but I do wish Xavier Becerra well.” Though the mood was one of defeat, Hilton sought to rally his base for the future. “We love California and we’re going to fight for California,” he added. “The fight goes on. We have a plan.”

New Governor Faces Medi-Cal Funding Challenges

During the campaign, he outlined several key priorities, offering few specific details but a firm commitment to action.

Xavier Becerra wins California governor’s race, defeating Steve Hilton

Perhaps his most daunting task will be ensuring there are no disruptions to Medi-Cal coverage, even for undocumented workers. This is a herculean endeavor, especially with as much as $30 billion in federal cuts to healthcare funding looming from the new administration.

“Hopefully he uses an overwhelming victory to achieve what he wants to get done in 100 days,” said Steven Maviglio, who served as a spokesman for former Gov. Gray Davis. “That’s when you’re most powerful: when you assume office with an agenda, so hopefully he’ll detail that within days of being elected.”

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Professor Anna Sampaio of Santa Clara University calls Becerra’s win historic, especially given the current political environment.

“It’s particularly important in this moment when Latinos are under siege, when they’re targeted by the federal government, and you have a Latino not only being elected, but a Latino who is consistently delivering this message that he is going to stand in opposition to a Trump agenda.”

Becerra’s inauguration will mark the beginning of a new chapter for California. The state faces a crossroads, and its new governor, a man whose own story is woven into the fabric of the state’s immigrant and working-class communities, must now deliver on his promise to make a difference.