Ex-Biden HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra launches Calif. governor bid – potentially putting him on a collision course with Kamala Harris 

Former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra announced Wednesday that he’s running to be California’s next governor – and that he won’t step aside if Kamala Harris enters the race. 

“It makes no difference to me who’s in or not,” Becerra said during an interview with “The Issue Is,” a statewide California political news show. 

“I’m in. That’s it. I’m in,” the 67-year-old former Department of Health and Human Services secretary declared. 

Becerra said he will not withdraw from the race if Harris joins the Democratic field. x/XavierBecerra

Becerra, who is also a former 12-term Democratic congressman and California attorney general, further indicated that he did not discuss his decision to enter the 2026 Golden State governor’s race with the failed Democratic presidential nominee. 

“I have not spoken to the [former] vice president since probably January,” he said. 

Harris, 60, has reportedly told allies to keep her political options open since her crushing defeat in the 2024 presidential election. 

The former vice president is believed to be seriously considering a run at the California governorship, in a bid to succeed a termed-out Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Harris is expected to make a final decision on her next move by the end of the summer, Politico reported last month. 

Harris will reportedly make a decision over the summer on whether to enter the 2026 California governor’s race. REUTERS

In contrast to Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Ca.) has suggested that she would consider withdrawing from the race if Harris were to enter the fray. 

“If Kamala comes into the race … it’s going to have a near clearing field effect,” Porter said during an appearance on “Pod Save America” last month. 

The former congresswoman also argued that it would be “disrespectful … not to acknowledge that [Harris] would be an incredibly strong candidate and there are practical realities that anyone faces.” 

In his announcement video, posted on X, Becerra said he’s running for governor “because I watched my parents, a construction worker and a clerical worker, achieve the California dream.”

“Can we do that today with this affordability crisis? Very tough.”

Becerra said his goal as governor would be to “rebuild the California dream.”