The debate stage in California became a battleground this week, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra was the man in the crosshairs. Both Democrats and Republicans didn't hold back, launching blistering attacks over a migrant children crisis, a corruption scandal involving his former chief of staff, and allegations of mismanagement.
Five Democrats and two Republicans crowded the stage, all vying to replace Governor Gavin Newsom. But it was Becerra who became the favorite target, as rivals tore into his claims of competent leadership and demanded answers.
Becerra tried to sell his decades of public service as a golden ticket for governor. But his opponents weren't buying it. They called his record a mess, and he fired back, labeling criticism "MAGA talking points" and dismissing the migrant children uproar as "Trump lies."
Democratic opponent Antonio Villaraigosa wasn't having it. He pointed out that the controversy wasn't a political smear—it came from a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation by the New York Times. The stakes couldn't be higher, and the tension in the room was electric.
"The experience we hear from Secretary Becerra didn't lead to better outcomes," said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, another Democrat on the attack. "It led to 85,000 migrant children who were lost. More fraud in our health care system." The words landed like a hammer blow.
Becerra and his allies have always denied that children were "lost," but the controversy haunted him through his entire tenure at HHS. It all started with a massive surge of unaccompanied migrant children, when officials rushed to move minors out of overcrowded shelters and into the homes of adult sponsors.
A February 2023 investigation revealed that the administration quietly relaxed longstanding safeguards—cutting background checks and file reviews meant to protect vulnerable kids from exploitation. The system was broken, and Becerra was at the helm.
"If Henry Ford had seen this in his plants, he would have never become famous and rich," Becerra told his staff at the time, according to the report. Yet even as he spoke, HHS was peeling back protections that had been in place for years.
Nearly a dozen officials inside the agency raised the alarm. They warned that labor trafficking was on the rise, and the system rewarded speed over safety. It was a ticking time bomb, and Becerra was in charge of the detonator.
On the debate stage, Becerra pushed back hard. He called Mahan's criticism "totally untrue" and branded it a "MAGA talking point." Then he pivoted to his signature achievement: "Under my watch, more Americans gained health coverage than ever in the history of the country." He claimed he expanded Obamacare and lowered premiums for millions.
But Mahan wasn't finished. He shot back that Becerra's record was one of higher healthcare costs, worse outcomes, and "fraudulent and wasteful spending" during his time as both California attorney general and HHS secretary. The gloves were off.
Then Republican candidate Steve Hilton stepped into the ring. He accused Becerra of being "mired personally in a corruption scandal" involving his former chief of staff, Sean McCluskie. The allegation: campaign funds were used to pad McCluskie's salary after Becerra left for the Biden administration.
"My view is that it's a bit rich for Xavier to talk about following the law when he is mired personally in a corruption scandal," Hilton said. Earlier, Becerra had lectured GOP sheriff Chad Bianco about violating the law—but now the tables had turned.
Villaraigosa piled on, saying the situation "doesn't pass the smell test," even if Becerra hadn't been indicted yet. Hilton went further, announcing that his running mate for attorney general had already sent Becerra a letter promising an investigation—and possible prosecution.
Becerra denied everything. "Read the indictment," he shot back. "I was not involved. If I had been, the U.S. attorney would've had me in that indictment." The words were defiant, but the damage was done.
Tuesday night's debate laid bare an uncomfortable truth: Becerra's long record in public office is both his biggest selling point and his heaviest anchor. Rivals from both parties used his time in Sacramento and Washington to argue he doesn't belong in the governor's mansion.
But Becerra refused to back down. "If you want to judge me, judge me on the things that I've done," he said from the stage. "I expanded health care to more Americans than anyone in the history of the country. I negotiated lower drug prices for the first time ever." Whether that story will be enough to save his campaign remains to be seen.
