Xavier Becerra, President Biden’s former secretary of Health and Human Services, is running for governor of California in 2026. He brings to the race a proud record of infuriating colleagues, losing track of migrant children, violating the Hatch Act, and spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

From this we can conclude…

or…

As noted a few days ago in the Morning Jolt, for a woman reportedly interested in being the next governor of California, since Election Day Harris has the public profile of a member of the Witness Protection Program. Like Harris, Becerra spent most of the past four years living and working in Washington, D.C.. Then again, Californians may prove to be laid back about residency. Laphonza Butler, who governor Gavin Newsom appointed to fill the remainder of Dianne Feinstein’s term, wasn’t registered to vote in California until she was appointed and had her legal residence in Maryland. Butler served as one of California’s senators from October 1, 2023 to December 8, 2024.

Meanwhile, a lot of other Democrats want to be the next governor, some of whom actually spent the past few years living and working in the state — lieutenant governor Eleni Kounalakis, former congresswoman Katie Porter, state superintendent of public instruction Tony Thurmond, and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, among others.