California’s June primary election is less than two weeks away, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is getting a boost in his campaign for governor.
Becerra was on the campaign trail at Dulan’s on Crewnshaw Tuesday, alongside Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.
“If I have an opportunity to be between Jasmine Crockett and Rex Richardson between now on June 2, I’m going to win this race,” said Becerra.
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“I can tell you that Xavier didn’t become a progressive yesterday. California, you need Xavier in this moment. I am so ecstatic to stand here in support of someone that I know will do an amazing job and will scare the (expletive) out of Trump,” said Crockett.
“No matter how you pray, what hot sauce you eat, no matter who you love, this is a campaign where everybody belongs,” Richardson added.
Becerra has surged in the governor’s race since Eric Swalwell dropped out just over one month ago.
“California voters are not anxious to have someone who wants to buy the office and they’re also not anxious to have somebody who is towing the Trump line,” said Becerra.
Christina Bellantoni, a professor at USC’s Annenberg School, said Becerra has the right momentum at the right time.
“He could pull this thing off. And I’ve also really noticed that the Steyer campaign has gone increasingly negative on Becerra. And to me, that says they view him as the biggest threat,” Bellantoini added.
One of the other frontrunners, Republican Steve Hilton, clearly views the other Republican in the race, Chad Bianco, as his biggest threat.
Usually, a Trump endorsement rallies his supporters behind the endorsed candidate and encourages others to drop out. But in the once Golden State, that didn’t happen with Republicans.
Following President Trump’s (ill-advised) April 6 Hilton endorsement something unusual has happened in California. Many Bianco supporters – who are America First Trump supporting MAGAs – are sticking with the Sheriff. They still support Trump, but his endorsement hasn’t changed their minds.
Democrats desperately want to run against Steve Hilton (former Fox News host and endorsed by Trump) because then they can then run the general campaign against Donald Trump. If only Hilton makes it to the primary top two, expect the general election to be Trump, Trump, Trump! How fast can you say, “Governor Becerra?”
IMO, and assuming a relatively fair election (cough-cough), I think the Sheriff is going to beat Hilton in the primary. Why? Because the goal is to win in NOVEMBER!
Hate Trump, hate Trump, hate Trump… Very lame campaign slogan but it is all they have.