Xavier Becerra — Governor-elect of California; former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services

Xavier Becerra was elected governor of California on Nov. 3, 2026, defeating Republican Steve Hilton 64% to 36% with 100% of the expected vote reported (ABC7). He will be the state's first Latino governor since 1875 and succeeds Gov. Gavin Newsom (Sacramento Bee).

Biography

Becerra served in the California Assembly, then in the U.S. House from 1993 to 2017, where he chaired the House Democratic Caucus. He was California attorney general from 2017 to 2021, suing the first Trump administration repeatedly, and was President Biden's health and human services secretary from 2021 to 2025.

Record

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–2025)
Attorney General of California (2017–2021)
U.S. House, California (1993–2017)
California State Assembly (1990–1992)

Life & background

Things you might not know, from public records.

Born in Sacramento in 1958, he grew up in a one-room apartment with his three sisters. [Source]
He was the first person in his family to graduate from college, earning an economics degree from Stanford in 1980. [Source]

Coverage

People · Explainer
From a one-room apartment to the governor's office: what to know about Xavier Becerra
Nov 5

Updated 2026-11-04