Xavier Becerra wins governor's race in California

Xavier Becerra wins governor’s race in California

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The Becerra Era Begins: A Governor with Few Debts and a State Full of Problems

California has a new governor, and he’s calling it the “Becerra Era.” Democrat Xavier Becerra, a 68-year-old former congressman, state attorney general and Biden Cabinet secretary, won a decisive victory on Tuesday night to succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom, LA Times reported. He takes the helm of the nation’s most populous state with a long list of potential opportunities and an even longer list of monumental challenges.

His victory arrives during a monumental night for Democrats, who won control of the U.S. Senate and House in a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration. But for Becerra, the celebration is just beginning. He will be sworn in on Jan. 4 and must submit his first state budget proposal just six days later on Jan. 10, an immediate test of his ability to govern.

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

A Working-Class Governor with Few Political Strings Attached

Becerra’s path to the governor’s mansion was unique. He emerged surprisingly from a brutal top-two primary and sailed to election in a state where registered Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans. But unlike previous governors, he won largely without the backing of the state’s most powerful unions or influential organizations. The California Federation of Labor Unions didn’t endorse him, and the powerful California Nurses Assn. and California Teachers Assn., which were instrumental in Newsom’s 2018 win, did not play a major role in Becerra’s campaign.

“A lot of those constituencies didn’t support him until he looked inevitable,” said Republican strategist Rob Stutzman, an alumnus of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration. “So he doesn’t owe a lot of people anything for any role they played in his campaign.”

Xavier Becerra wins governor's race in California
Photo: cbsnews.com

Becerra himself has emphasized his working-class roots, telling author Mike Madrid, “Mike, don’t be proud of me because I’m Latino.”

Mounting Challenges and the Shadow of the Budget

The optimism of his campaign party in West Sacramento, where Becerra promised to “deliver a California we can afford and defend a California we can’t afford to lose,” is now colliding with the stark realities of governing. He inherits a state grappling with worst-in-the-nation unemployment, a crippling housing crisis, and the ever-present threat of devastating natural disasters like fires and floods.

And looming over it all is the budget. With billion-dollar deficits on the horizon, Becerra’s ability to break new ground will be severely limited. “He’d be playing catchup on a lot of things,” said Steven Maviglio, a Democratic strategist who worked for former Gov. Gray Davis.

“The budget is going to be the greatest challenge,” Stutzman told CBS News. “I think it will be slow, methodical and careful, when it comes to his approach out of the gate.”

One of the first major tension points could be healthcare. Becerra has committed to preventing any interruptions to Medi-Cal coverage, a formidable challenge given the potential for as much as $30 billion in federal reductions. He could also encounter demands from Democrats in the Legislature to reinstate health care coverage for undocumented immigrants following reductions enacted under Newsom.

Democrat Xavier Becerra wins California governor’s race

Becerra Sets Priorities for Housing and Environment

Becerra has made his priorities clear. He plans to declare a housing emergency to speed up construction, a move that could pit him against environmental groups. He wants to take on the thorny question of who is financially responsible when megafires burn, and he intends to responsibly grow the artificial intelligence industry while luring back Hollywood production and preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games.

A key part of his agenda is regulatory reform to lower housing and business costs. Environmentalists flex considerable muscle in the state and found an ally in Newsom. Though Becerra vigorously defended the state’s environmental rules as attorney general, he may find himself in a difficult balancing act.

Xavier Becerra wins governor race, first Latino elected to position in California

“For it to be meaningful, there would have to be substantial regulatory resets, recalculating — I would say even updating and modernizing — some of the climate policies to make sure that they’re affordable,” Stutzman said.

Environmental justice communities—poorer neighborhoods, often of color—have experienced disproportionately negative effects from industries like oil drilling. During the only debate of the general election, Becerra criticized his Republican opponent, Steve Hilton, for proposing to unleash new oil drilling.

Xavier Becerra wins California Governor's race: AP projects

“He wants to, he said it himself, ‘Drill, baby, drill,’” Becerra said. “Steve, you weren’t living here in California at the time. You weren’t living in America at the time. We don’t want to see our coastline damaged.”

A Different Kind of Leadership

Becerra is expected to bring a much different governing style than Newsom. He has cited Govs. Pat and Jerry Brown as role models, pointing to the younger Brown’s fiscal acumen and the elder’s work on developing infrastructure.

“After eight years of showmanship, it will be refreshing to have a governor who actually focuses on the issues facing the state instead of his own ambition,” Maviglio said.

Hilton, who conceded the race, has already signaled his intentions for the future. He told supporters he would work to break the Legislature’s Democratic supermajority in 2028. “The election is over, but the desire for change is not,” his team stated in advance of a news conference.

Now, the focus shifts to Sacramento. The “Becerra Era” is here, and its success will depend on whether the new governor can deliver on his promise of a government that works for all Californians, even as the bills come due.

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