Xavier Becerra Elected California Governor, First Latino to Hold the Post Since 1875
Xavier Becerra of the Democratic Party has been elected governor of the US state of California. The former health and human services secretary defeated Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump and a former Fox News host.
Becerra, 68, is the son of Mexican immigrants and will become California's first Latino governor since 1875. More than 40 percent of the state's residents are Latino, and nearly one in two children there has an immigrant parent.
Speaking to supporters at a victory party in Sacramento, the state capital, Becerra said his mission as governor is to deliver a California people can afford and defend a California they cannot afford to lose.
California is America's largest state and home to the world's fourth largest economy. Since Trump was first elected in 2016, the state has served as a bastion of liberal resistance.
Becerra will succeed Governor Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited and is openly weighing a presidential run.
In his campaign, Becerra spoke of restoring the 'California Dream'. He placed affordability and universally accessible healthcare at the centre of his campaign.
He also repeatedly highlighted his record of standing up to President Trump, reminding voters that as California attorney general he sued the Trump administration 122 times during Trump's first term.
The British-born Hilton, by contrast, blamed the state's woes on Democratic governance in Sacramento. Citing excessive regulation, high taxes and an unaffordable state, he promised tax cuts, cheaper fuel and smaller government.
Becerra's path to November was not straightforward. In a crowded primary field he spent much of the race in the low single digits, and he was among the contenders party officials encouraged to exit the race.
His fortunes began to change when former congressman Eric Swalwell's campaign collapsed amid sexual assault allegations. Becerra edged past billionaire candidate Tom Steyer and secured the top spot on the general election ballot alongside Hilton.
The incoming administration will face a list of challenges that includes the high cost of living, a housing shortage, homelessness, rising insurance premiums, wildfire risk and widening wealth inequality.
