California Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra said “everything should be on the table” as he weighs ways to make the state more affordable, but bristled when pressed for details in his first public remarks since election night.
“I’m no longer a candidate; I’m now the governor-elect. So I will take this very seriously,” Becerra said.
“But, guys, don’t play this game about asking me to commit, because I didn’t get elected doing that.”
The Democrat defeated Republican Steve Hilton in Tuesday’s election to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, extending Democratic control of the governor’s office to a fifth term. The campaign was shaped largely by California’s high cost of living and public anger toward President Donald Trump.
Becerra appeared with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, pledging to work closely with legislative leaders. He said details about his transition team would be announced soon.
The three Democrats projected unity on affordability, although Becerra provided few specifics on how his administration would reduce the cost of housing, health care and energy.
“The public made it very clear we should be focused on job one, two, and three, and that is cost of living, cost of living, cost of living,” he said.
Asked whether tax cuts could be part of that effort, Becerra did not rule them out. At the same time, he indicated that wealthier Californians may need to pay a larger share than they do now.
“I think everything should be on the table,” Becerra said. “By the way, you’re probably going to be hearing me say that a lot, whether it’s on energy, whether it’s on revenue and tax policy, whether it’s on healthcare, why should we take anything off the table?”
His broad approach became more defensive when reporters asked about his campaign commitments to making health insurance and medical care more affordable.
“You want me to make a commitment to families without knowing what the budget will be, without knowing where the votes are, and that’s just playing politics the wrong way,” Becerra said.
He cited his record on expanding access to care and reducing health care costs, saying he plans to continue those efforts as governor.
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“A lot of other folks make these wild promises, and they’re not the governor-elect,” Becerra said.
On tax policy, Becerra said he first wanted to determine who was paying their “fair share.” He pointed to the state Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office for guidance.
He said Proposition 40 — the billionaire tax measure opposed by both him and Newsom — reflected concerns about an uneven tax burden.
“If you’re paying at a tax rate in California that’s lower than the tax rate of a teacher, a firefighter, a nurse, a police officer, and you’re making way more money than they are, in my book, you’re not paying your fair share,” Becerra said.
Rivas warned that the election results should not be viewed as an across-the-board endorsement of Democratic leadership.
“Our mandate is to do things differently,” Rivas said. “People want change.”
Becerra congratulated Nithya Raman on her victory in the Los Angeles mayor’s race and answered several questions in Spanish. He discussed affordability and protections for immigrants while acknowledging that California cannot supersede federal law.
When asked about his choice for finance director, Becerra made an awkward joke, saying he wanted “someone [who] can pull money off of trees.”
“Since I suspect that’ll be tough to find, we will look for someone who knows their numbers, who can do this well, has experience in balancing a budget as large as the budget of the state of California.”
Becerra closed by suggesting he would approach the selection process without political grandstanding.
“I ran on my record of what I’ve done, and I have expanded access to healthcare. I have lowered healthcare costs, and that’s what I intend to do again,” Becerra said.
“But 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.”
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