Becerra Defeats Hilton to Become California's Newest Governor

Xavier Becerra defeated Republican challenger Steve Hilton to win the California gubernatorial election. The victory places a candidate with deep roots in the state's agricultural labor history at the helm of the nation's most populous state. Becerra will lead a government serving 39.5 million residents, a population in which four in every ten individuals are of Hispanic origin.

The new governor was born in Sacramento in January 1958. His mother, Maria Teresa, was an immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico, while his father, Manuel Becerra, was a farm worker born in Sacramento. Becerra recounted his father's story during a debate in September, noting that Manuel grew up in Tijuana before returning to the United States with 12 dollars in his pocket. This narrative reflects the broader history of displacement and migration in the southwestern United States.

Becerra attended C. K. McClatchy High School in Sacramento, graduating in 1976. He then enrolled at Stanford University, where he earned dual bachelor's degrees in Arts and Economics in 1980. He continued his education at Stanford Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor degree. This academic foundation supported a career spanning community advocacy, state and federal law, and executive administration.

His professional path began with community work before he joined the California Department of Justice in the early 1990s as an assistant attorney general. He served as a state assemblyman for District 59 before entering the U.S. House of Representatives in 1993. He represented districts in the Los Angeles area for 24 years, focusing on fiscal policy, health, immigration, and civil rights. In 2017, he became the attorney general of California, marking the first time a Latino led the state's Department of Justice.

In 2021, President Joe Biden selected Becerra to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. He held this position until 2025, becoming the first person of Hispanic origin to head the department. His tenure involved managing federal health initiatives and coordinating with state governments on public health and medical coverage issues.

Becerra announced his candidacy for governor in 2024. His campaign centered on housing, health care, and wages. He proposed using state resources to restart residential projects with existing permits and expanding public health coverage for residents under 65. He also suggested reviewing the state's minimum wage of $16.90 per hour based on the cost of living for working families. His platform included legal defense for migrants and strengthened trade ties with Mexico.

The race featured debates over Becerra's background, specifically the term "son of immigrants." Opponents argued that because his father was born in Sacramento, he was a U.S. Citizen rather than a migrant. Becerra maintained that his father's displacement was part of the Mexican migration history in the United States. The state he now leads is the fifth-largest economy in the world, with major industries in technology, agriculture, and finance.