Xavier Becerra, a Democrat and former U.S. health secretary under President Joe Biden, has moved into the top tier of California’s 2026 governor contest, with several recent surveys placing him at or near the front of a fractured field ahead of the June 2 primary.
Xavier Becerra, a longtime California and national Democratic figure, has gained momentum in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, with recent polling showing him among the leading candidates in the state’s wide-open gubernatorial contest. (apnews.com)
In the latest Emerson College Polling survey conducted with Inside California Politics on May 9–10, 2026, Becerra led the overall field with about one-fifth of support, narrowly ahead of other prominent contenders in a crowded race. Several outlets reporting on that poll also noted that Becerra had become the top choice among Democratic voters within the survey’s crosstabs. (nbcbayarea.com)
Becerra previously served as U.S. secretary of health and human services in the Biden administration and has held other senior elected posts, including California attorney general and a lengthy tenure in Congress. (apnews.com)
While his campaign has drawn attention to his record in government, the specific claim that he “oversaw policies for unaccompanied migrant children” requires more precise framing: responsibility for the care and placement of unaccompanied children sits within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the Administration for Children and Families. As HHS secretary, Becerra led the department that houses that program, though day-to-day operations are handled by the office and its leadership. (hhs.gov)
The primary is scheduled for June 2, and under California’s top-two system, the two highest vote-getters advance to the November general election regardless of party—an arrangement that has helped keep the field competitive and fluid as voting approaches. (axios.com)
