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

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Biden administration Health Secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday became the latest Democrat to join the crowded field seeking to become California’s next governor, a contest that could be dramatically reshaped if former Vice President Kamala Harris becomes a candidate.

The Stanford Law School graduate enters the race with a lengthy resume of government service, including stints as California attorney general, a U.S. House member and a state legislator. In December 2020, then-President-elect Joe Biden picked Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting a defender of the Affordable Care Act in a leading role to oversee his administration’s coronavirus response.

In a heavily Democratic state with punishing housing and grocery prices and some of the nation's highest gas and utility costs, Becerra said working families are facing an affordability crisis.

“The California Dream is slipping away,” he said in a statement announcing his run.

The contest to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom already has lured a large scrum of announced and likely candidates that would be reordered if Harris decides to seek the state’s top office. Harris, a former state attorney general and U.S. senator, has not ruled out seeking the governorship since she left Washington in January after a failed presidential bid.

Democrats are expected to hold the seat in a state where they outnumber registered Republicans by nearly 2 to 1. Republicans have not won a statewide election in California in nearly two decades.

In a statement, Becerra did not directly mention any of his Democratic rivals, who include former U.S. House member Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, among others.

On the GOP side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco in February became the first major Republican to announce a bid to replace Newsom, whose term runs through early January 2027. Bianco blamed Democrats for the ongoing homeless crisis and runaway housing prices.

The low-key Becerra said he was ready to "take on bullies who get in our way,” an obvious reference to President Donald Trump.

When Becerra was serving as California attorney general during Trump's first term, he developed a reputation for suing the Republican administration more than anyone else on issues from health care to environmental policy.

While Becerra led the federal health agency during the pandemic, California instituted long lockdowns that have been faulted for disrupting education and the economy. That could make him a target for conservatives.

Becerra frequently cites his working-class parents as inspiration. His mother was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and emigrated to the U.S. after marrying his father, a native of Sacramento, California, who had grown up in Mexico.

“My parents came to California with $12 in their pockets. They built a life they were proud of,” Becerra said. “That’s the promise of California, and I will fight to ensure it’s still within reach for everyone.”