Biden's top health official, Xavier Becerra, enters the race to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Biden medication Health Secretary Xavier Becerra connected Wednesday became the latest Democrat to articulation the crowded tract seeking to go California’s adjacent governor, a contention that could beryllium dramatically reshaped if erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris becomes a candidate.

The Stanford Law School postgraduate enters the contention with a lengthy resume of authorities service, including stints arsenic California lawyer general, a U.S. House subordinate and a authorities legislator. In December 2020, then-President-elect Joe Biden picked Becerra to pb the Department of Health and Human Services, putting a defender of the Affordable Care Act successful a starring relation to oversee his administration’s coronavirus response.

In a heavy Democratic authorities with punishing lodging and market prices and immoderate of the nation's highest state and inferior costs, Becerra said moving families are facing an affordability crisis.

“The California Dream is slipping away,” helium said successful a connection announcing his run.

The contention to regenerate term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom already has lured a ample scrum of announced and apt candidates that would beryllium reordered if Harris decides to question the state’s apical office. Harris, a erstwhile authorities lawyer wide and U.S. senator, has not ruled retired seeking the governorship since she near Washington successful January aft a failed statesmanlike bid.

Democrats are expected to clasp the spot successful a authorities wherever they outnumber registered Republicans by astir 2 to 1. Republicans person not won a statewide predetermination successful California successful astir 2 decades.

In a statement, Becerra did not straight notation immoderate of his Democratic rivals, who see erstwhile U.S. House subordinate Katie Porter, erstwhile Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, among others.

On the GOP side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco successful February became the archetypal large Republican to denote a bid to regenerate Newsom, whose word runs done aboriginal January 2027. Bianco blamed Democrats for the ongoing stateless situation and runaway lodging prices.

The low-key Becerra said helium was acceptable to "take connected bullies who get successful our way,” an evident notation to President Donald Trump.

When Becerra was serving arsenic California lawyer wide during Trump's archetypal term, helium developed a estimation for suing the Republican medication much than anyone other connected issues from wellness attraction to biology policy.

While Becerra led the national wellness bureau during the pandemic, California instituted agelong lockdowns that person been faulted for disrupting acquisition and the economy. That could marque him a people for conservatives.

Becerra often cites his working-class parents arsenic inspiration. His parent was calved successful Jalisco, Mexico, and emigrated to the U.S. aft marrying his father, a autochthonal of Sacramento, California, who had grown up successful Mexico.

“My parents came to California with $12 successful their pockets. They built a beingness they were arrogant of,” Becerra said. “That’s the committedness of California, and I volition combat to guarantee it’s inactive wrong scope for everyone.”