Becerra Wins Historic California Governorship

Xavier Becerra’s victory in the California gubernatorial race marks the end of a 151-year wait for a Latino governor in the Golden State. The win places him at the head of the state's executive branch for the second time since Romualdo Pacheco, who served for only 10 months in 1875.

The election results confirm a shift in power that has taken decades to materialize. Latinos currently make up 41% of California's population, the largest ethnic group in the state. With this win, they simultaneously occupy the top posts in both chambers of the Legislature and the governor's mansion. Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Monique Limón, both Latino, will work alongside Becerra.

Becerra enters office facing a state grappling with severe challenges. These include a receding coastline, frequent wildfires, and stagnant population growth that threatens the state's congressional representation. A federal administration is also actively contesting California's immigration policies, having attempted to block the votes of 20,000 immigrants it claims are noncitizens.

The reaction to Becerra's win reflects a political landscape where Latino identity is no longer a novelty. A Berkeley IGS poll released last week found that only 45% of Latino voters felt proud of the prospect of a Latino governor. Lena Gonzalez, a state senator from the Long Beach area, noted that voters prioritize policy outcomes over identity. She argued that the Latino political class must now lead with results rather than advertising their heritage.

Becerra's path to the top was shaped by decades of grassroots organizing and legal battles over redistricting. Fernando Guerra, a political historian at Loyola Marymount University, explained that earlier Latino politicians had to balance appeals to white voters and establishment figures. By the late 1980s, immigration and civil rights lawsuits allowed candidates to win with a clear Latino agenda. This incremental approach led to milestones like Cruz Bustamante becoming assembly speaker in 1996 and Antonio Villaraigosa becoming mayor of Los Angeles in 2005.

Becerra has held public office for 27 years in Los Angeles. He served in the state assembly and Congress before Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him as the state's first Latino attorney general in 2017. He later served as the first Latino U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. His campaign strategy leaned into a moderate persona, branding him as a non-threatening figure for a broad electorate.

Political strategist Mike Madrid, a lifelong Republican who voted for Becerra, described the moment as a return to the past for a group that once ruled the territory. Madrid cautioned that the new leaders must prove they can govern for everyone, not just their community. He told Becerra that the responsibility now rests on delivering economic improvements for the working class.

Jody Agius Vallejo, an associate director at USC's Equity Research Institute, urged the new administration to use the narratives of collective struggle to inform their governance. She emphasized that these stories should guide policy decisions to meet the needs of voters. Becerra, who identified as the child of Mexican immigrants, spent Monday meeting supporters at a Chinatown cafe, where crowds chanted his name.