Xavier Becerra announces candidacy for California governor

April 2, 2025

Los Angeles, CA – Today, Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and former Attorney General of California, announced his candidacy for Governor of California. With over 35 years of experience delivering results as an executive and policymaker, Becerra is running to pull Californians out of a worsening affordability crisis and get our state back on track.

“California is at a crossroads. From housing to healthcare, childcare to college, working families are facing an affordability crisis. The California Dream is slipping away. I’m running for Governor to fight for that dream, to build a stronger, affordable California for everyone, and to take on bullies who get in our way,” Becerra said.

As Attorney General of California, Becerra led the charge to hold the first Trump administration accountable. He launched the landmark California v. Texas case, where he defended the Affordable Care Act (ACA) all the way to the Supreme Court and won. In all, he took the Trump administration to court over 120 times, winning high-profile cases protecting reproductive rights, millions in COPS funding, and DACA.

“Whether defending workers against wage theft or looking out for families in need of a hospital for their children, standing up for DREAMers or fighting for clean air and water, I’ve always been driven by the California values instilled in me by my parents – a clerical and construction worker, both immigrants to America – who had the chance to earn their dream,” Becerra continued. “Now, it’s time to take on California’s biggest challenges: tackling skyrocketing prices, keeping our streets and businesses safe, and growing the economic pie for the next generation of hardworking Californians.”

As U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Becerra managed one of the most consequential budgets in the world. He is the first Secretary to negotiate historic reductions in prescription drug prices and expand healthcare coverage to a record 300 million plus Americans. Under his leadership, HHS navigated the successful vaccination effort that pulled the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I stood up to Big Pharma, helped tackle the COVID crisis, and expanded healthcare coverage to millions. I’ve never backed down from a fight in defense of working families, and I’m not about to start now,” Becerra said.

Becerra’s campaign is grounded in his belief that every Californian, no matter their background, deserves the chance to succeed. Raised by immigrant parents who worked tirelessly to give their children the opportunity to thrive, Becerra is committed to restoring the California Dream for today’s families.

“I know what it means to work hard and dream big. My parents came to California with $12 in their pockets. They built a life they were proud of. That’s the promise of California, and I will fight to ensure it’s still within reach for everyone,” Becerra said.

California’s Time to Rise

Secretary Becerra and his spouse, Dr. Carolina Reyes, are both children of working-class families and first-generation college graduates. Like their parents, they understood that their biggest obligation was to teach their three daughters to reach a better place and improve the condition of the next generation.

“California is the economic engine of America, the fifth-largest economy in the world,” Becerra said. “That wasn’t luck or accident. It was intentional; it was hard work. We need a leader who will reward hard work, innovation, and endurance again. We need a leader who has rolled up his sleeves as a construction worker, an executive, and a lawmaker. I’m that leader, and as Governor I’ll be ready to build a California that’s rising again.”