What a Becerra Win Would Mean for California's Latinos — and Why 40% of Them Haven't Heard From Any Campaign

California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks to Eaton Fire survivor Gayle Ali, on the property of a home which was destroyed in the fire and is being rebuilt, on September 17, 2026 in Altadena, California. Becerra met with Altadena residents who lost their homes in the fire and toured recovery sites as the California gubernatorial race is underway ahead of the November 3 election. Becerra, a former California attorney general and U.S. health secretary, is facing Republican Steve Hilton in the race to succeed two-term Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Credit: Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Key Takeaways

• The latest Emerson College/Inside California Politics poll, conducted October 17–19, shows Xavier Becerra ahead 60% to 33% — a 27-point margin that is outside the survey's margin of error, with 7% of likely voters still undecided.
• A Becerra win on November 3 would make him California's first elected Latino governor and the 12th Latino to hold any U.S. governorship, ending 151 years since Romualdo Pacheco briefly held the office in 1875 without having been chosen by voters.
• Despite the race's historic significance, a Latino Community Foundation survey found that 40% of California's Latino voters had not been contacted by any candidate or party entering the campaign's final stretch.