ICYMI: Becerra’s Closest Colleagues Continue to Pass on Endorsing Him for Governor

Former DHS Secretary Mayorkas today declined to endorse Becerra and joins a chorus of his Becerra’s former colleagues who question his ability to lead in times of crisis 

SAN FRANCISCO — Today, yet another former colleague of Xavier Becerra declined to endorse his candidacy for California’s chief executive. Despite having worked closely with Becerra, Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas passed on endorsing him, saying, “I am agnostic,” when asked directly about his support for Becerra.  

“Those who know him best know that Becerra just isn’t up to the job," said Steyer for Governor spokesperson Danni Wang. “Mayorkas and those who worked closely with Becerra continue to keep their distance, and that’s no surprise given Becerra’s incompetence that led to failing migrant children and bungling public health crises. California voters are seeing that Becerra crumbles in times of crisis, and his former colleagues agree.”

Mayorkas is not alone. Earlier this month, Kamala Harris passed on endorsing Becerra in announcing her support for candidates running for statewide office in California. 

And just last week, several of his former colleagues in the Biden administration spoke openly about Becerra to POLITICO, calling him “absent,” “slow to activate,” and “an unfortunate choice.” 

As an administration official, it was well-documented that Becerra was not favored among many of his colleagues. White House officials, including Susan Rice, privately referred to him as an “idiot,” and President Biden even "tore into" him during meetings. Becerra's internal reputation was so poor that his own cabinet colleagues passed notes in meetings warning, “Don't save him.”

Becerra’s incompetence has had real consequences: As HHS Secretary, he lost track of 85,000 children and removed protections that left them vulnerable to trafficking. Yesterday, Becerra admitted, “exploitation may have occurred," and shirked responsibility in his failure to lead when asked directly about his involvement.

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