Xavier Becerra advances to general election, makes history as first Latino to win statewide gubernatorial primary

With votes still rolling in, Associated Press calls the race for Becerra; former HHS Secretary and California AG poised to carry working families’ fight to November

LOS ANGELES, CA — With votes still being counted across the state, AP has called the California gubernatorial primary for Xavier Becerra — making him the first Latino candidate to break through to the general election in a California gubernatorial race. The historic milestone capped an extraordinary campaign that galvanized labor unions, nurses, California Professional Firefighters, Planned Parenthood, and working families.

“The people of the great state of California, in the greatest nation on earth, have spoken — loudly and proudly,” Xavier Becerra said. “We will not be bought. We will not be bullied. And we are never backing down. November, here we come.”

Tonight’s result is a landmark moment in California history. Becerra becomes the first Latino to win a major-party gubernatorial primary in the nation’s most populous state — a breakthrough that reflects both the demographic transformation of California and the enduring power of a politics rooted in working people and underrepresented communities.

In November, Becerra will carry that mandate into a general election contest that will define California’s future. Whether the campaign faces Tom Steyer — a billionaire attempting to buy his way into the governor’s office on the backs of oil investments and private prison profits — or a Republican tethered to Donald Trump’s agenda, Becerra and his campaign are ready.

Becerra has made clear his north star for the fall: the cause of working people and the underrepresented is worth fighting for. The people of California are worth fighting for. From health care to housing to the cost of living, his campaign is built on the promise that California’s government can and must deliver for those who have been left behind.