Stop Being So Chill, Xavier Becerra. Fight For California's Future

Xavier Becerra needed to onshore a knockout punch, moreover much truthful than nan 5 different candidates for California politician he was facing astatine Wednesday night’s debate.

Instead, he fired disconnected immoderate slaps.

He needed to roar astir his galore accomplishments successful his 35-year profession successful Sacramento and Washington, to separate himself from nan comparative governmental neophytes astir him.

Instead, Becerra recited his resume pinch nan vigor of personification rattling disconnected his LinkedIn page.

He needed to uplift Californians pinch a imagination of hope, erstwhile many consciousness nan authorities is going successful nan incorrect direction.

Instead, he offered nan oratory balanced of a pat connected nan shoulder.

No campaigner had much astatine liking that nighttime than Becerra, who went from an afterthought to a contender aft Eric Swalwell dropped out and resigned his legislature spot complete intersexual battle allegations.

Five weeks ago, Becerra and different candidates of colour were protesting their removal from a USC debate because they were each polling truthful low. Now, nan 68-year-old has a chance to go California’s first Latino governor.

This anticipation seems to person uncorked California’s silent mostly — nan rancho libertarians turned disconnected by hard-right authorities but besides nan wokoso authorities they consciousness person near them behind. The group who yearn for an unglamorous, competent leader aft 8 years of all-about-me Gavin Newsom and a decade of Donald Trump.

Becerra’s campaign, erstwhile arsenic rudderless arsenic a leafage successful a stream successful a title truthful chaotic for Democrats that galore feared 2 Republicans would triumph connected June 2 and look each different successful nan wide election, abruptly latched onto a palpable wave.

At nan Los Angeles Times Festival of Books past weekend, I saw group sporting Becerra run buttons who had conscionable travel from a rally that was expected to tie a fewer 100 but alternatively had complete 2,000 RSVPs. On societal media, friends who had ne'er particularly cared for authorities government abruptly declared they were for Becerra and fought disconnected their much lefty pals who deliberation he’s a Latino Ned Flanders not up for this fraught moment.

Unglamorous and competent are Becerra’s mediate names, and they were connected show astatine nan statement — for amended and mostly worse. This was his chance to show some his caller followers and undecided voters that they could spot him arsenic California’s adjacent governor.

But wherever he needed to beryllium limber for illustration a prizefighter, nan erstwhile California lawyer wide was arsenic tightly coiled arsenic a Rolex.

While nan different candidates pressed their palms against nan podiums, fresh to pounce connected each question, Becerra clasped his hands for illustration an altar boy. When he did gesture, his movements ne'er went further than nan span of his shoulders.

As nan others grinned and grimaced astatine their rivals’ responses, Becerra was arsenic stone-faced arsenic Buster Keaton. He stumbled much than he should person — really could personification successful his position correction Iraq for Iran erstwhile criticizing Trump’s Middle East quagmire? — and seldom seemed astatine ease, arsenic if nan weight of nan infinitesimal and nan bully luck of his surge had abruptly deed him astatine nan worst imaginable time.

Candidates successful California’s gubernatorial race, from left, Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, and Steve Hilton look connected during a statement Wednesday, April 22, 2026, successful San Francisco.

(Jason Henry / Associated Press)

Becerra’s supporters opportunity a level-headed leader is what California needs. But voters almost ne'er spell for what they request — they prime what they want. And California wants personification who’s loud, aliases astatine slightest louder than Becerra. There’s a logic why strident partisans for illustration Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton and progressives Tom Steyer and Katie Porter person consistently placed precocious successful nan polls, while moderates for illustration Becerra, his frenemy Antonio Villaraigosa and San Jose politician Matt Mahan person lagged.

The weird point is that Becerra does cognize really to brawl. Wallflowers don’t spell from a moving people Mexican migrant family to Stanford Law School. Wimps don’t past the ruthlessness of Eastside politics arsenic an outsider to go a congressmember astatine conscionable 34. Cowards don’t file complete 100 lawsuits against nan Trump administration arsenic California’s apical charismatic aliases tackle nan coronavirus pandemic arsenic President Biden’s wellness secretary.

I’ve only encountered nan Sacramento autochthonal a fewer times but ever came distant impressed. In mini crowds, he makes group laughter and tear up. He’s speedy pinch ripostes, righteous successful off-the-cuff remarks and has a do-gooder aura that ne'er comes disconnected arsenic sanctimonious.

We saw hints of that Becerra astatine nan debate. To Hilton, he quipped, “You tin beryllium a talking caput and not interest astir nan consequences of what you do” aft nan erstwhile Fox News big babbled connected astir really one-party ruled had grounded California.

After Porter accused him of not offering difficult numbers for his economical plans, Becerra responded that he has balanced national budgets larger than California’s. “It’s easy to opportunity you haven’t done this; it’s easier to beryllium that you really have,” he concluded.

But aft Becerra described nan evils of group profiling by rule enforcement and Bianco, nan sheriff of Riverside County, ranted that California politicians request to extremity reasoning truthful overmuch astir race, it was Porter who responded pinch a verbal haymaker arsenic Becerra silently looked on.

You don’t conflict arsenic a choirboy successful a conflict royale. Becerra wasn’t bad astatine nan statement but he besides wasn’t awesome — and that won’t triumph this race.

Voters want personification who’ll do nan job, yes — particularly if it comes pinch nary drama. They besides want to elite personification they deliberation is simply a human, not a joyless bureaucrat. So really did Becerra respond to nan debate’s past mobility astir what was nan past bid you’ve streamed?

Becerra flashed his biggest grin of nan night. It was specified a softball query that moreover a kindergartener could person slammed it à la Shohei Ohtani.

“I wish I could show you I had clip to watch streaming shows,” he replied.

Dude. We’re each overworked, but everyone I cognize unwinds by watching mindless drivel (my existent obsession is “Vanderpump Villa”). We each request to relax, moreover for a moment. As my dada says erstwhile he sees maine filing 1 columna aft different and urges maine to return a break, “El trabajo nunca se acaba pero uno sí se acaba.”

Work ne'er ends, but group do.

Xavier, you cognize you’re connected nan incorrect broadside of California erstwhile nan only different campaigner pinch a akin reply was Bianco, who said he doesn’t watch tv astatine all.

Being observant has served you well, but this is nan top opportunity of your life. You don’t person to abruptly go a flamethrower, but immoderate sparks would help. It’s six weeks until nan primary, truthful clip to propulsion down — transmission your soul cholo and spell get what should beryllium yours.