TCP congratulates California Governor-elect Xavier Becerra
The Children’s Partnership (TCP) extends congratulations to Xavier Becerra, who has been declared Governor-elect of California.
When he is sworn in next year, Becerra will be California’s first Latino governor elected to the office in our state’s history. California’s children are among the most diverse in the nation, and almost half have at least one immigrant parent. The election of Becerra, who grew up in an immigrant family, offers California’s children a leader who understands firsthand both the promise and the struggle of building a future in a new country with limited resources. Leaders who know these experiences bring them into the rooms where decisions about health care, child care, and family economic security get made. In particular for children in immigrant families, who face a climate of fear and real threats to their health and stability, seeing a son of Mexican immigrants lead our state sends a powerful message: You belong here, and your future matters.
California must choose children as a top priority
With his deep roots in California, as well as his experience at the highest levels of our federal government, TCP is looking forward to working with Governor-elect Becerra and his administration on the many challenges children and families face today in our state – from the barriers that make it difficult to keep kids covered by Medi-Cal to the detrimental impacts of federal immigration actions.
We believe the best solutions come from the people most affected by policy decisions. It is this belief that guided our work on Choose Children 2026, a statewide campaign of more than 40 partner organizations, on which TCP served as part of the steering committee. From the primary through the general election, the campaign made sure gubernatorial candidates heard directly from young families about what matters most to them. Affordability topped the list, with the cost of child care and health care weighing heavily on parents’ minds.
What’s next for California’s children
These conversations don’t end with the election. TCP will keep working with the Governor-elect, his administration, and our partners across the state on the issues that shape children’s health and well-being. Those include continuous health coverage, birth equity, mental health supports, safe spaces, and governance structures that put children’s needs at the center of state decision-making.
As Governor-elect Becerra prepares for his first 100 days, we urge him to carry forward the stories that parents, caregivers, young people, and advocates shared with him on the campaign trail. With new leadership, California has the chance to show the nation what it means to choose children. That means treating children and families as a core investment, rooting policy in equity and community experience, and building a state where every child can reach their full potential, now and for generations to come.
