Xavier Becerra is on the campaign trail for California governor — but increasingly out of reach for the reporters covering it.
The Democratic frontrunner has gone almost two months without taking questions from the media, a notably cautious approach that critics argue suggests his campaign is banking on California’s deep Democratic voter registration advantage to help carry him through the November election.
Becerra was last made available to reporters on June 9, according to KCRA 3’s Ashley Zavala and ABC 10’s Jenny Huh. That was just one week after the June 2 primary sent the former Biden administration health secretary into the November runoff against Hilton.
The pattern continued Wednesday at the state Capitol, where Becerra attended a voting rights press conference before leaving early and moving quickly toward a waiting vehicle as reporters followed and tried to get his attention.
“Do you have any regrets about your HHS career?” The California Post asked twice. Becerra did not respond.
He eventually gave a brief answer when Huh asked whether he would accept Hilton’s challenge to debate.
“Yes,” Becerra said.
His campaign, however, has not yet said when or where a debate might take place, or how many debates Becerra would agree to attend.
“It’s actually unbelievable to me that Becerra seems to be running this race — if running is the word — in such a lazy, arrogant and entitled manner,” Republican challenger Steve Hilton told The Post.
“Who does he think he is?”
Hilton added, “He’s acting like the next man up for the top job in a Soviet politburo. He’s just the latest puppet to be installed by the machine without bothering to even go through even the pretense of actual democracy.”
Becerra has plenty of reasons to clam up and sit tight.
Democrats had nearly 10.4 million registered voters heading into the primary, or 44.9% of California’s electorate, compared with about 5.8 million Republicans, or just under 25% of registered voters, according to the California Secretary of State.
Becerra also finished first in the crowded June primary with about 28% of the vote, compared with roughly 25% for Hilton and 23% for progressive billionaire Tom Steyer.
No Republican has won a California gubernatorial election since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.
Hilton, who was endorsed by President Trump, argues Becerra is treating that built-in advantage as permission to coast through the general election without submitting to the traditional scrutiny of a statewide campaign.
“He’s literally running away from questions from reporters. He’s running away from a debate with me,” Hilton said. “But he can’t run away from his terrible record in his growing migrant kids abuse scandal.”
Becerra has his fair share of baggage after nearly four decades as a career politician.
His handling of unaccompanied migrant children while running the Department of Health and Human Services has come under renewed scrutiny after a senior federal official told The Post that roughly 330,000 cases involving children released during Becerra’s tenure remain unresolved.
John Fabbricatore, a senior adviser with HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, also said more than 40 children processed by Becerra’s agency have since died while many were sexually trafficked or forced into labor.
Becerra’s political orbit was also embroiled in a corruption scandal.
Dana Williamson, a longtime Democratic operative who managed Becerra’s campaign accounts, is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 17 after pleading guilty to bank fraud, filing a false tax return and lying to the FBI.
Williamson admitted helping Becerra’s former chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, secretly funnel $225,000 from a campaign committee tied to Becerra into McCluskie’s personal bank account through sham consulting contracts, according to federal prosecutors.
Becerra said he had no knowledge of the scheme and he was never accused or charged in the matter.
There is also a pattern of Becerra just being plain awkward in off-the-cuff remarks.
Last month, he drew ridicule after telling a conference of Latino leaders that visitors seeking authentic tacos should skip established restaurants, which pay taxes and apply for permits, for street vendors.
“All I know is there’s real food in California and there’s real street tacos and you don’t get them in some establishment that’s been around for a long time,” Becerra said.
“You get it from the street from the guy who’s been making it for a long time in his little cart.”
Becerra’s latest dash from reporters quickly became fodder for conservative talk radio.
“This is like someone is accused of murder, and they’re walking from the courthouse while the trial is going on, and they can’t get away from the press corps fast enough,” KABC host John Phillips said.
Co-host Randy Wang piled on by comparing it to a “perp walk.”
“This is not what you’d expect from somebody that is actively trying to get your vote,” Wang said.
Jonathan Underland, a spokesperson for the Becerra campaign, said the Democratic candidate will attend a summit being held Tuesday in Sacramento by media outlet Politico and took a shot at Hilton.
“While Trump’s lapdog is busy chasing cars, the press corps will have plenty of time to speak with Secretary Becerra as he crisscrosses the state, hearing directly from Californians about their greatest challenges and his plan to solve them together,” Underland wrote in an email.
