In a crowded field for California governor, former Health and Human Services Secretary and former state attorney general Xavier Becerra may be considered a bit of an underdog, as he lags in early polling. 

Last month, an Emerson College poll had former Vice President Kamala Harris leading the pack of both Democratic and Republican candidates at 31 percent. Undecided voters came in at 39 percent, and Becerra came in with just 2 percent of support.

But in an interview with Spectrum News, Becerra didn’t seem too concerned, citing his extensive record at the state and federal level. He plans to stay in the race regardless of what Harris decides to do.

“I was a CEO for the Department of Health and Human Services, the largest health agency in the world, and I was the attorney general for the largest Department of Justice in the nation, aside from the U.S. Department of Justice, which has now gone AWOL,” said Becerra. 

“Speak softly, carry a big stick. We will continue to speak where we must. We don't have to yell. We'll just get our job done,” he continued. “I think once people start to focus on this race, and they want someone who can actually get things done, has been a CEO and done it, and knows how the laws operate because he's written them, I think that's when people will see and I'll gain traction with a lot of folks.”

Becerra served in Congress from 1993 to 2017, rising through the ranks to become Democratic Caucus Chair from 2013 to 2017. He then gave up his House seat to become California attorney general. He held that job until he was nominated by then-President Joe Biden to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary, the first Latino to hold the post.

As California’s attorney general, Becerra was instrumental in the state pushing back against the first Trump administration, including arguing to protect the Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court. He said his work as the state’s top lawyer has given him invaluable experience.

“We certainly will defend our interest – interest to make sure that our air, our water, our resources are used the right way,” promised Becerra. “When Donald Trump tried to take on California, we beat him back in court. We pulled out the stick, and so we'll be ready.”

California has found itself in the crosshairs of the Trump administration on everything from its environmental policies to its costly high speed rail project. Now more than four months after the deadly wildfires ravaged parts of Los Angeles County, the Golden State is still waiting for federal relief, a delay some Democrats have suggested is political.

When asked if he believes President Trump has a vendetta against California, Becerra didn’t give a straight yes or no answer.

“I don't try to predict what this guy, what the President of the United States, has or doesn't have,” Becerra said. It's one of those things where I don't pay attention to what he says. I watch what he does so I know how to act. That's why I was successful in most of my 120 plus lawsuits against him because we didn't listen to just his words. We watched what these actions were.”

Despite filing more than 120 challenges to the first Trump administration as attorney general, Becerra said he thinks he can work with the president to deliver for Californians. It’s an approach similar to the one Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken in the last several weeks.

“I think every governor recognizes ‘I got, at the end of the day, I got to deliver for my folks,’ and I'm going to look for any partner I can,” he said. “I had to deliver as attorney general, and I did. I’ll do it as governor. And you know, I'm not going to go have dinner with a guy, I'm going to work with him to make sure Americans and Californians are taken care of.”

Becerra said some of the biggest issues in California include the affordability crisis and the red tape that complicates rebuilding after natural disasters. He said while there has been a lot of work done by state and local officials to try to work with insurers and developers, many homeowners in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena still don’t know when they will be able to rebuild. He said those homeowners deserve certainty.

“If I'm Governor, you will know when you'll get to rebuild, when you'll get paid by your insurer, so you could start the progress moving forward. And I believe there's a missing element here, we're not connecting the dots for folks. We tell them we're going to work hard to make it happen for you, but they're still waiting, and they don't know what the horizon looks like,” said Becerra. “I'm going to tell them what the horizon looks like, and it's not that difficult to do. You sit everybody down; the insurers, the developers, the local governments, the state, the owners, everyone who's involved and say, ‘okay, we're coming together. How long? What's this? What does it take?’ And when you walk out of that room, you get a time frame, and you say, everyone's sticking to it. And the state of California has to be the first one to make sure we abide by the timelines.” 

Becerra also said he wants to focus on energy and transportation as well as education. He spoke about the ideas in broad strokes, with more thorough policy expected in the coming months. He said he wants to give future generations the opportunity to achieve and afford the “California dream” that his parents, a clerical worker and construction worker who had little education, were able to give him.

“They were able to make it.They lived the California Dream. I'm certainly living the California Dream as the first to get that college education out of a university. Can a construction worker and a clerical worker today have that same dream? If I'm Governor, I'm going to make sure they do.”

Democrats are expected to easily hold the governor’s mansion, as registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 2-to-1 in the state. Republicans have not won a statewide election in California in nearly two decades. Candidates have until March 2026 to declare their bid for office before the June 2026 primary. All candidates, regardless of party, will appear on the primary ballot, and the two candidates that receive the most votes will proceed to the general election.

For more from our conversation with Becerra on cuts being made to HHS – click here.