By David Courtland and Carlos García
California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra drew a crowd of hundreds to Oxnard’s Performing Arts Center on Thursday afternoon, as he made several campaign stops in Oxnard, during a contentious race to the June 2 primary election.
Polls show the former Health and Human Services Secretary in the Biden Administration is currently among leading candidates along with Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Tom Steyer.
Following a brief disruption by small group of protestors, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union led the crowd in a chant of “Governor Becerra!” before he began delivering his working-class message.
“You know why they’re coming after me? Because they’re afraid of you,” Becerra said of the protestors. “They don’t want you to know you’ve got a chance to elect someone who comes from a working-class background.”
Becerra took the opportunity to emphasize his support of the First Amendment, saying that when he was governor, he would protect the right of the protestors to express their view.
The former California State Attorney General emphasized his record of standing up to President Donald Trump, whose first administration he filed suit against 122 times, winning most of those cases.
He also voiced support of people who had been brought to the United States as children through the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Act.
“I will continue to make sure you know you are welcome in California and to fight in Washington, D.C.” Becerra said, before addressing affordability of college and buying a home.
“I will help you believe you can own a home,” Becerra said, promising to expand the programs for helping people get a down payment on a home.
“The problem is, if you’re a renter, most of your life you’re going to live off your income and you won’t have a retirement fund,” Becerra explained. “The biggest asset you’ll ever purchase is your home.”
Noting he had earned the endorsement of the Ventura County Young College Democrats, Becerra said he would make the first two years of community college free.
“What we want is to give you a chance to spread your wings,” Becerra said.
Becerra also addressed state funding for dealing with homelessness, emphasizing accountability.
“When the state of California, through taxpayers, provides to cities and counties tens of billions of dollars, we need to see results,” Becerra said.
Becerra underscored his working-class theme with the story about his parents’ arrival in the United States from Mexico.
“I am the son of two people who came here with $12 in their pocket,” Becerra said. “The glass is only half full, we’re going to fill that baby up.”
Later Becerra was joined on stage by fellow Democrat and 24th District Representative Salud Carbajal of Santa Barbara.
Before Becerra was attorney general or HHS Secretary, he was a congressman, and he noted he had worked with Carbajal in the House of Representatives.
“You’re looking at our next governor,” said Carbajal. “Xavier is the most qualified and most experienced candidate running for governor.”