FRESH FACE

‘Dark Horse’ Gets Sudden Jolt in Packed California Race

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s allies may be giving the former Biden appointee a boost.

A fresh face is rising within the crowded race to be California’s next governor.

Xavier Becerra, who led Health and Human Services in the Biden administration, has surged from four percent support to 15 percent in one poll this month, elevating him from a “dark horse” candidate to a real contender to succeed the term-limited Gavin Newsom.

Becerra, 68, is now tied with the billionaire Tom Steyer as the top Democrat in the race, according to a survey conducted by Gudelunas Strategies in the aftermath of Eric Swalwell’s campaign imploding amid sexual assault allegations on April 12.

Support for other candidates remained mostly stagnant after Swalwell, who represented the East Bay area of San Francisco in Congress, dropped out of the gubernatorial race.

Becerra, who served in the House for over a decade and was California’s attorney general for four years, enjoyed an 11-point spike after Swalwell’s exit, Gudelunas Strategies found. Steyer got a three percent bump, and Democratic Rep. Katie Porter rose two points to 13 percent support.

The survey also found that Becerra enjoys a favorability advantage among those who know who he is. He has a +33 net favorability, well above Porter (+8) and Steyer (+5).

Another new poll, by Emerson College, placed Becerra at 10 percent support, tied with Porter. It found that 23 percent of expected voters in California remain undecided.

The departure of Swalwell may not be the only thing boosting Becerra. Insiders told Politico last week that “at least some Newsom allies have been taking a closer look at Xavier Becerra.” It adds that “several Newsom advisers had gravitated toward him in recent weeks.”

Politico also reported that LaMont Digital, a creative agency that has worked with Newsom, signed onto the Beccera campaign last week.

More than half of the deep blue state feels that Newsom, who has become a constant thorn in President Donald Trump’s side, is doing a good job in Sacramento. His office did not respond to a request for comment about Becerra’s ascension in recent polls.

Newsom, 58, has so far refrained from endorsing in the governor’s race. However, he may need to step in to prevent a doomsday scenario that would guarantee that a Republican leads the state for the next four years.

California elects its governors through a so-called “jungle primary” that pits candidates from both parties against each other, with the top two facing off in a general election, regardless of party affiliation.

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Before Swalwell dropped out, polls showed two Republicans—the Trump-backed Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco—as the favorites to move on to the 2026 general election. That disaster situation appears less likely now, as Steyer and Becerra have since passed Bianco (14 percent) in the Gudelunas Strategy poll.

Newsom did not appear particularly concerned about Bianco or Hilton making it to Sacramento in an interview with The Atlantic, telling the magazine he will only endorse a candidate if absolutely necessary.

“Only in a break-the-glass scenario,” he said.

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