Xavier Becerra Bio: Age, Height, Wife Carolina Reyes, Career, California Governor 2026, Net Worth & Facts

Xavier Becerra is the governor-elect of California and the first Latino ever elected to the state’s top job. On November 3, 2026, the former U.S. health secretary and California attorney general defeated Republican Steve Hilton by a landslide, returning to Sacramento after a decades-long career in the state Assembly, Congress, the attorney general’s office, and President Joe Biden’s cabinet.

Becerra’s win is historic in more ways than one. California has not had a Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco in 1875, and no Latino had ever won the office by popular vote. At 68, he inherits a state wrestling with housing costs, a budget squeeze, and a president who has made California a favorite target. This biography covers his age, wife Carolina Reyes, family, career, the 2026 race against Steve Hilton, net worth, quotes, and the controversies that trailed him to the finish line.

Quick Facts

Readers who search for Gavin Newsom, Steve Hilton, Kamala Harris, Jerry Brown, Gina Hinojosa, Nithya Raman, Tom Steyer, and Eric Swalwell often land on Becerra’s name after the 2026 midterms. His victory is usually grouped with other Democratic wins in California and with the record Latino turnout that shaped races nationwide.

Early Life & Education

Xavier Becerra was born on January 26, 1958, in Sacramento, California, and grew up in a one-room apartment with his parents and three sisters. His father, Manuel Guerrero Becerra, was born in Sacramento, raised in Tijuana, and returned to the United States as a teenager. His mother, Maria Teresa, came from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The family lived close enough to the Capitol that politics was always somewhere in the background.

He graduated from C. K. McClatchy High School in 1976, then studied abroad at the University of Salamanca in Spain from 1978 to 1979. Becerra earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University in 1980, becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college, and a law degree from Stanford Law School in 1984. He was admitted to the California bar in 1985.

His first legal jobs were not glamorous. He worked on cases involving people with mental disorders for the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts, then came home to California in 1986 to serve as an administrative assistant to state Senator Art Torres. From 1987 to 1990 he was a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice under John Van de Kamp.

Career Journey

State Assembly and Congress

Becerra won a seat in the California State Assembly in 1990, representing the 59th district for one term. Two years later he ran for Congress in the 30th district, winning the Democratic primary with a 32 percent plurality and the general election 58 percent to 24 percent. He would hold a House seat for 24 years, representing districts that were renumbered and redrawn several times.

In Washington he built a reputation as a steady, behind-the-scenes operator rather than a cable-news fixture. He chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus from 1997 to 1999, served as assistant to the speaker during the 110th Congress, and chaired the House Democratic Caucus from 2013 to 2017. He was also on the shortlist for Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, though Tim Kaine ultimately got the nod.

He ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001 and finished with about 6 percent of the primary vote, a rare early loss that he rarely mentions today.

California Attorney General (2017–2021)

When Kamala Harris moved to the U.S. Senate, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Becerra as California’s attorney general in January 2017. He became the first Latino to hold the office. He won a full four-year term in 2018 with 63 percent of the vote and turned the department into a legal firewall against the first Trump administration, filing 122 lawsuits over environmental rules, immigration policy, health care, and more.

He also created a Bureau of Environmental Justice at the California Department of Justice in 2018 and delivered the Democratic Spanish-language response to Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address. The “122 times” line became the centerpiece of his later campaign ads.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (2021–2025)

Biden nominated Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in December 2020, and he was confirmed in March 2021. He oversaw the tail end of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the expansion of the Affordable Care Act marketplace, and fights over abortion access, drug pricing, and Title X family planning rules.

His tenure was consequential but rarely flashy, and Republicans made him a target over vaccine policy and abortion referrals. When Biden left office in January 2025, Becerra returned to California and almost immediately became a candidate for governor.

2026 Campaign for Governor

Becerra entered a crowded Democratic field that included Representative Katie Porter, billionaire Tom Steyer, former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. The race shifted when Eric Swalwell’s campaign collapsed amid scandal, leaving Becerra to fight Steyer head-to-head for the Democratic lane. Steyer spent more than $200 million, but Becerra won the June top-two primary and advanced alongside Republican commentator Steve Hilton.

The general election was never close. California’s Democratic registration advantage — roughly 45 percent to 25 percent — plus Hilton’s association with Trump made the outcome predictable. On November 3, 2026, Becerra won 59.8 percent to Hilton’s 40.2 percent. He will be sworn in on January 4, 2027, succeeding Gavin Newsom, who was term-limited.

Career Stats

• 1990: Elected to the California State Assembly, 59th district
• 1992: Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives
• 1997–1999: Chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• 2013–2017: Chair, House Democratic Caucus
• 2017–2021: California Attorney General; 122 lawsuits against the first Trump administration
• 2018: Elected attorney general with 63% of the vote
• 2021–2025: 25th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
• 2026: Elected governor of California, 59.8% to 40.2%

Personal Life

Becerra is married to Dr. Carolina Reyes, a physician who has worked on maternal and child health issues. They have three daughters and are Roman Catholic, a detail that became a talking point after the election when commentators noted that California’s last several governors have also been Catholic. The family has stayed largely out of the spotlight, and Becerra rarely discusses his home life in interviews.

• Wife: Dr. Carolina Reyes, a physician
• Children: Three daughters
• Father: Manuel Guerrero Becerra, born in Sacramento and raised in Tijuana
• Mother: Maria Teresa Becerra, from Guadalajara, Jalisco
• Faith: Roman Catholic
• Residence: Sacramento area

Dating History and Affairs

There is no public dating history or affair scandal connected to Xavier Becerra. He met Carolina Reyes before his political career took off, married her, and the couple raised three daughters while he moved between Sacramento and Washington. She has appeared at campaign events and his election-night celebration but does not give interviews about their marriage.

The only relationship-adjacent story from the 2026 race was political, not personal: his long alliance with Gavin Newsom, who endorsed him late in the campaign and appeared with him in Los Angeles. Republicans tried to tie Becerra to the outgoing governor’s record, which Becerra mostly accepted while promising a different focus on affordability.

Controversies

The stolen campaign funds. In November 2025, Politico reported that Becerra’s closest aides, including a chief of staff who had served him for 20 years, had siphoned about $225,000 from his campaign accounts over two years. Becerra was not accused of wrongdoing, but the story raised questions about how he failed to notice until federal investigators approached him.

Campaign finance questions. A 2024 report found that Becerra was paying $10,000 a month for campaign reporting out of a dormant state account, an arrangement experts called an apparent Hatch Act violation. Becerra said the payments were for account maintenance; critics called the cost excessive and the account suspicious.

The “uninspiring” campaign. Even in victory, the New York Post described him as coasting after a campaign that offered “little in inspiration.” He skipped some debates, avoided detailed policy commitments, and leaned on Trump’s unpopularity and California’s Democratic advantage. His first press conference as governor-elect, where he promised affordability but offered few specifics, drew the same critique.

The health record and the Newsom tie. Republicans attacked his HHS tenure over vaccine mandates, abortion referral rules, and drug pricing, and they tried to link him to Newsom’s pandemic policies. Becerra answered by pointing to the 122 lawsuits and his refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, but the attacks did not disappear after Election Day.

Awards & Achievements

• First Latino elected governor of California (2026)
• First Latino to serve as California attorney general
• 25th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the House Democratic Caucus
• Filed 122 lawsuits against the first Trump administration as attorney general
• Delivered the Democratic Spanish-language response to the 2019 State of the Union
• Won the 2026 governor’s race by nearly 20 points

Physical Statistics

• Height: Not publicly disclosed
• Weight: Not publicly disclosed
• Hair Color: Black and gray
• Eye Color: Brown
• Build: Average
• Style: Dark suits, blue ties, and reading glasses on the campaign trail

Quotes

“California has cemented its position as the answer to Donald Trump’s chaos. I know exactly how to hold this president accountable, because I did it 122 times as this state’s Attorney General.”

Xavier Becerra, campaign statement, 2026, via Fox LA

“Every time he attacked our rights, our community and our democracy — I made sure California stood up, fought back, and won.”

Xavier Becerra, campaign statement, 2026, via Fox LA

“I can’t make a commitment without knowing what exactly I face, because I don’t think any voter, any taxpayer, any Californian wants to have a governor who’s still acting like a politician.”

Xavier Becerra, first press conference as governor-elect, November 5, 2026, via ABC7 News

Favorites

• Favorite place: Sacramento, where he was born and raised
• Favorite legal win: The 122 lawsuits against the first Trump administration
• Favorite policy area: Health care access and affordability
• Favorite downtime: Time with his wife and three daughters
• Favorite campaign style: Small roundtables and Spanish-language media

Earnings

Xavier Becerra’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed. There is no verified figure, and any specific number circulating online should be treated as a guess. His income has come from public salaries as a congressman, California attorney general, and HHS secretary, plus his wife’s work as a physician.

California’s governor is paid about $234,000 a year, and Becerra will also receive a federal pension from his years in Congress and the cabinet. His campaign raised and spent tens of millions of dollars in 2026, but those funds are separate from his personal finances.

Interesting Facts

• He grew up in a one-room apartment with his parents and three sisters.
• He was the first person in his family to graduate from college.
• He studied in Spain at the University of Salamanca.
• He ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001 and finished with about 6 percent.
• He sued the first Trump administration 122 times as attorney general.
• He is the first Latino elected governor of California.
• He will be sworn in on January 4, 2027.

Did You Know Already?

• California’s first Latino governor, Romualdo Pacheco, took office in 1875 after ascending from lieutenant governor.
• Becerra is the first Latino to win the office by popular vote.
• He beat Steve Hilton 59.8 percent to 40.2 percent.
• Tom Steyer spent more than $200 million on the Democratic primary and still lost.
• He is California’s fifth consecutive Catholic governor.
• He served 24 years in the U.S. House before joining the cabinet.

Social Media Links

• Official campaign website: xavierbecerra2026.com
• California Attorney General profile: oag.ca.gov
• Congressional biography: bioguide.congress.gov

Note: We only list verified official pages. Fan, parody, or unverified social accounts are intentionally left out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Xavier Becerra’s win closes a 151-year circle in California: a Latino candidate has finally won the governor’s office outright, and he did it with the kind of lopsided margin that makes his mandate look stronger than his low-key campaign suggested. But the job he inherits is hard — housing, energy, a budget gap, and a White House eager for a fight.

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