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Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra wins California governor’s race
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Democrat Xavier Becerra has been elected governor of California, defeating Trump-backed Republican Steve Hilton, and will serve a four-year term succeeding term-limited Democrat Gavin Newsom.
- Becerra, 68, has a long political career including roles as California’s attorney general, a 12-term U.S. House member, and Biden’s health and human services secretary, running on a platform opposing Trump’s policies.
- His campaign emphasized protecting healthcare, affordable housing, clean energy, disaster mitigation, and AI regulation, while criticizing Hilton’s support of Trump tax policies and questioning his ability to address state issues.
- Becerra faced criticism over his management of health crises at HHS but leveraged his record of legal battles against Trump during the campaign.
- Hilton, a former Fox News host and recent U.S. citizen endorsed by Trump, was considered an underdog and criticized Becerra’s tenure but ultimately lost in the general election.
