California’s June primary election is less than two weeks away, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is getting a boost in his campaign for governor.
Becerra was on the campaign trail at Dulan’s on Crewnshaw Tuesday, alongside Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.
“If I have an opportunity to be between Jasmine Crockett and Rex Richardson between now on June 2, I’m going to win this race,” said Becerra.
“I can tell you that Xavier didn’t become a progressive yesterday. California, you need Xavier in this moment. I am so ecstatic to stand here in support of someone that I know will do an amazing job and will scare the (expletive) out of Trump,” said Crockett.
“No matter how you pray, what hot sauce you eat, no matter who you love, this is a campaign where everybody belongs,” Richardson added.
Becerra has surged in the governor’s race since Eric Swalwell dropped out just over one month ago.
“California voters are not anxious to have someone who wants to buy the office and they’re also not anxious to have somebody who is towing the Trump line,” said Becerra.
Christina Bellantoni, a professor at USC’s Annenberg School, said Becerra has the right momentum at the right time.
“He could pull this thing off. And I’ve also really noticed that the Steyer campaign has gone increasingly negative on Becerra. And to me, that says they view him as the biggest threat,” Bellantoini added.
One of the other frontrunners, Republican Steve Hilton, clearly views the other Republican in the race, Chad Bianco, as his biggest threat.
In a video on X posted Tuesday, Hilton said, in part: “a vote for Chad Bianco is a vote for two Democrats in the top two. We cannot take this risk. If you want change in California, there is only one vote that can possibly make it happen and that is a vote for me.”
“When trump endorsed Hilton, that has been at least longer than a month ago, maybe longer than that, that was the time for that conversation. Now, people are already casting ballots, it’s clear to me Bianco’s not going anywhere,” said Bellantoni.
Even if Bianco were to drop out of the race with two weeks left and endorse Hilton, votes have already been cast for Bianco with his name on the ballot.
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