2026-04-28T10:00:51.086Z / 美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）
作者：阿里特·约翰
2小时前
发布时间：2026年4月28日，美国东部时间早上6:00
2026年4月22日周三，哈维尔·贝塞拉在加利福尼亚州旧金山KRON工作室举行的州长辩论中发言。
杰森·亨利/彭博社/盖蒂图片社 pooled影像
在最近的一场辩论中，一名对手对哈维尔·贝塞拉发起攻击，这凸显了他在加州州长竞选赛道中的崛起。
“贝塞拉先生，你有诸多美好的计划，但却从未给出任何具体数据、任何收入规划，也没有任何打破现状的细节，”前众议员凯蒂·波特在一场关于降低住房成本的讨论中说道。
和竞选期间多次做的一样，贝塞拉援引自己的从政经历为自己辩护。
“这话从一个从未真正运营过政府的人口中说出来，可真是站着说话不腰疼，”他如此回应波特。
随着前众议员埃里克·斯沃威尔退出州长竞选，贝塞拉的竞选活动获得了更多支持，成为缺乏明确领跑者的民主党人的潜在安全选择。贝塞拉拥有在州政府和联邦政府的长期任职经历，在这场因丑闻而动荡的竞选活动中，他表现沉稳低调。
周一发布的一项CBS民调显示，贝塞拉支持率为13%，共和党人史蒂夫·希尔顿为16%，民主党人汤姆·斯泰尔为15%。6月2日的无党派初选排名前两位的候选人将晋级11月的大选。
这对于一个数月来未能崭露头角的候选人来说，是显著的转变。这位前国会议员、加州司法部长、美国卫生与公众服务部部长，直到几天前公布的一项民调结果出来后，才得以跻身上周三的奈克斯塔辩论舞台。
如今的问题是，他将如何经受住选民和对手越来越多的审视，尤其是他在卫生与公众服务部的任职经历，以及来自拜登政府内部和外部的批评。
2026年4月22日周三，圣何塞市长马特·马汉（左）、贝塞拉、查德·比安科和史蒂夫·希尔顿在加利福尼亚州旧金山KRON工作室举行的州长辩论现场。
杰森·亨利/彭博社/盖蒂图片社 pooled影像
贝塞拉已经面临来自圣何塞市长马特·马汉和斯泰尔的针对其履历的攻击，后者还发布了一则新广告 targeting 贝塞拉。
“当看到支持贝塞拉的势头大幅增长，却没有任何可量化的民调理由或解释时……你不得不自问，这是一个持久、可持续的选民群体吗？”位于加州的反特朗普共和党顾问迈克·马德里说道，“还是说，这种支持会像来得一样快地消失？”
贝塞拉的竞选团队宣布，在截至4月18日的一周内，他筹集了超过100万美元的资金，这是一次急需的资金注入。上周，他获得了包括州议会议长罗伯特·里瓦斯在内的十多名州议员的背书。周五，贝塞拉启动了一项七位数的广告宣传活动。
贝塞拉的竞选团队将他的崛起归因于明智的规划和候选人的履历。他们直到3月底才推出首个电视广告，最近还加强了社交媒体运营。
贝塞拉辩称，他已经承担了下一任州长应有的诸多职责，称作为卫生与公众服务部部长，他曾平衡预算、管理过庞大复杂的机构。作为加州司法部长期间，他起诉特朗普首届政府超过120次。
“我是凭借自己的履历参选，而非夸大其词的承诺，”贝塞拉本月早些时候告诉CNN，“我所带来的从政经验，无人能及。”
但长期的任职履历也可能成为对手的攻击金矿。盟友表示，他是一名埋头苦干的人，不喜欢抛头露面，也不在乎功劳归于谁。批评者，尤其是那些对他在卫生与公众服务部任职期间表现不满的人，称他在关键岗位上不够积极主动。
“他们所有人都会不遗余力地抹黑哈维尔·贝塞拉的履历，”贝塞拉竞选团队的高级顾问迈克尔·布斯塔曼特告诉CNN，“我们完全预料到他们会这么做。”
拉美裔政坛的崛起之路
作为墨西哥移民之子，贝塞拉于1992年首次当选其所在的洛杉矶地区美国国会众议员，两年后加州选民通过了187号提案，该提案旨在剥夺无证移民享受公共医疗和教育服务的权利。187号提案被法院叫停，却引发了加州拉美裔政治力量的崛起，这与贝塞拉在加州政坛的上升轨迹不谋而合。
如果当选，贝塞拉将成为150多年来首位拉美裔加州州长。虽然拉美裔选民并非一个统一的阵营，但贝塞拉的背景和移民权益倡导立场可能会对他有所帮助。
在国会中，贝塞拉协助起草并通过了《平价医疗法案》，长期支持单一支付者医疗体系。在其二十多年的国会生涯中，贝塞拉也一直关注移民问题。
2026年4月18日周六，贝塞拉在洛杉矶的一场竞选活动中与支持者打招呼。
杰·C·洪/美联社
贝塞拉与2012年首次当选的斯沃威尔曾在国会有过短暂共事。他最近在CNN上表示，他和其他议员“听到过关于斯沃威尔行为的传言”。斯沃威尔在CNN和《旧金山纪事报》报道了针对他的性行为不端指控后退出了州长竞选，并于本月早些时候辞去了国会职务，他本人否认了这些指控。
上周辩论的主持人提问称，贝塞拉曾两度担任民主党党团主席，为何从未试图调查这些传言。
“你总会听到各种各样的传言，”他回应道，“传言不是事实，民主党党团也不是裁决此类事情的地方。执法部门才是。”
2016年12月，前州长杰里·布朗任命贝塞拉为司法部长。四年后，前总统拜登提名他为卫生与公众服务部部长。
2016年，时任副总统乔·拜登（右）与贝塞拉在美国国会大厦步行。
汤姆·威廉姆斯/CQ-罗尔呼叫通讯社/盖蒂图片社
一些人将他的提名归因于拜登政府面临的要求任命高级别拉美裔官员的压力。在他们的著作《这不会过去》中，记者乔纳森·马丁和亚历山大·伯恩斯将贝塞拉的任命描述为一项“仓促的选择”，旨在平息国会西班牙裔核心小组对拜登内阁多样性的不满。
“显然，我们一直在寻求组建多元化的内阁，但我得说，哈维尔是第一个浮现在我脑海中的人选，”拜登的第一任白宫办公厅主任罗恩·克莱因最近在被问及相关报道时告诉CNN。
克莱因表示，贝塞拉之所以是这份工作的“非常合理的人选”，是因为他在协助起草和通过《平价医疗法案》中发挥的作用，以及作为加州司法部长在法庭上为该法案辩护、对抗特朗普政府的经历。
政府任期内的毁誉参半记录
尽管贝塞拉因捍卫《平价医疗法案》和堕胎权而受到赞扬，但一些人批评他处理政府面临的关键危机的方式，从新冠疫情应对，到他的部门处理涌入美墨边境的无监护人未成年移民激增的问题。这些儿童被安置在卫生与公众服务部的监管之下，其中一些人长期滞留在应急设施中。拜登政府的一些官员指责贝塞拉在应对移民激增时缺乏紧迫感。
共和党人针对这些应急安置点以及他们所称的匆忙将未成年人释放给美国境内担保人的做法攻击贝塞拉。批评人士称，数千名儿童在卫生与公众服务部释放后下落不明，但前拜登政府官员和该领域的专家反驳了这一说法。
斯泰尔在其新广告中攻击卫生与公众服务部丢失儿童的指控。“如果你连孩子都看不住，你就不配领导加州，”广告中说道。
2023年3月9日，贝塞拉在华盛顿特区美国卫生与公众服务部总部举行的新闻发布会上发言。
德鲁·安杰尔/盖蒂图片社
贝塞拉的竞选团队将有关他在卫生与公众服务部工作的问题转交给了克莱因，后者为贝塞拉在该机构的工作进行了激烈辩护，并支持他的州长竞选。
克莱因称，对贝塞拉处理无监护人未成年移民激增问题的批评“极其不公平且完全是误导”。
“没有人比贝塞拉部长更关心这些孩子，”克莱因说，“他接手了一个极其棘手的局面，夜以继日地工作，力求以人道的方式对待这些孩子，让他们与在美国的家人团聚。”
贝塞拉还因卫生与公众服务部对猴痘（又称mpox）疫情的应对方式受到批评。公共卫生专家和LGBTQ维权组织领导人指责拜登政府，尤其是贝塞拉，在分发猴痘疫苗方面行动迟缓。
“贝塞拉无法为自己在华盛顿的履历辩护，他在卫生与公众服务部的表现相当糟糕，从猴痘疫情应对迟缓到丢失数万移民儿童，其中一些儿童还被贩卖，”马汉在最近一场辩论后告诉CNN。
克莱因表示，虽然从海外制造商获取猴痘疫苗需要时间，但疫情“因为贝塞拉的领导而很快得到了控制”。
对贝塞拉的审查加强也动员了他的一些支持者，尤其是在移民权利社区。本月早些时候，洛杉矶人道移民权利联盟（CHIRLA）行动基金的董事会以全票通过背书贝塞拉，此前该组织60%的成员推荐了他。该组织周一举行了新闻发布会，驳斥有关贝塞拉在安排年轻移民与担保人团聚方面处理不当的说法。
CHIRLA行动基金主席安杰利卡·萨拉斯表示，CHIRLA成员支持贝塞拉的部分原因是他们亲眼目睹了他为他们争取权益。
一些受益于童年暂缓遣返计划（DACA）的成员表示，他们记得曾与贝塞拉一起坐在美国最高法院，他领导了一个州联盟，成功捍卫该项目免受特朗普政府的攻击。
“我常说，很多人在公开场合爱你，但不会私下为你而战，”萨拉斯说，“我们需要那些公开表明对我们的爱，不会把我们藏在暗处的人。”
CNN的普里西拉·阿尔瓦雷斯为本报道撰稿。
Xavier Becerra wants to talk about his experience. So do his rivals for California governor
2026-04-28T10:00:51.086Z / CNN
By Arit John
2 hr ago
PUBLISHED Apr 28, 2026, 6:00 AM ET
Xavier Becerra speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco, California, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Jason Henry/Pool/Nexstar/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Xavier Becerra’s rise in the California gubernatorial race was made clear in a recent debate when a rival went after him.
“Mr. Becerra, you have all these lovely plans, but there are never any numbers, any revenue plan, any details, anything that pushes on the status quo,” former Rep. Katie Porter said during a discussion on lowering housing costs.
Becerra, as he’s done for much of his campaign, cited his experience to defend himself.
“That’s very rich to hear from someone who’s never had to actually run a government,” he responded to Porter.
In the wake of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s exit from the governor’s race, Becerra’s campaign is drawing support as a potential safe harbor for Democrats lacking a clear front-runner. Becerra offers a long record in state and federal government as well as a steady, if understated, presence amid a race shaken by scandal.
A CBS poll published Monday had Becerra at 13%, with Republican Steve Hilton at 16% and Democrat Tom Steyer at 15%. The top two finishers in the June 2 nonpartisan primary will advance to the November election.
It’s a marked shift for a candidate who for months failed to catch on. The former congressman, California attorney general and Health and Human Services secretary only qualified for last Wednesday’s Nexstar debate due to a poll released a few days prior.
The question now is how he’ll withstand increased scrutiny from voters and rivals, particularly over his record at HHS and criticism from both inside and outside former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Candidates Matt Mahan (from left), Becerra, Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton during the gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco, California on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Jason Henry/Pool/Nexstar/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Becerra has already faced attacks on his record from San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Steyer, the latter of whom released a new ad targeting Becerra.
“When you see that big of an explosion of movement towards Becerra, and there isn’t an underlying, quantifiable polling reason or explanation for it … you have to ask yourself the question, is this a durable, sustainable voting bloc?” said Mike Madrid, an anti-Trump GOP consultant based in California. “Or is it going to go away just as fast as it came?”
Becerra’s campaign announced he’d raised over $1 million in the week that ended April 18, a much-needed infusion. Last week, he was endorsed by more than a dozen state legislators, including Robert Rivas, the speaker of the State Assembly. On Friday, Becerra launched a seven-figure ad campaign.
Becerra’s campaign staff attributes his rise to smart planning and the candidate’s resume. They waited until late March to launch their initial TV ad and recently beefed up their social media operation.
Becerra argues that he’s already taken on many of the roles expected of the next governor, saying he’s balanced budgets and managed large, complex agencies as HHS secretary. As California attorney general, he sued President Donald Trump’s first administration more than 120 times.
“I’m running on my record, not on inflated promises,” Becerra told CNN earlier this month. “The experience that I bring to the table, no one has.”
But a long record can also be a gold mine for opponents. Allies say he’s a workhorse who avoids the spotlight and doesn’t care who takes the credit for wins. Critics, particularly those of his time as Health and Human Services secretary, said he wasn’t proactive enough in a critical role.
“All of them are going to work overtime to try to sully Xavier Becerra’s record,” Michael Bustamante, a senior adviser to Becerra’s campaign, told CNN. “We fully expect folks to do that.”
A rise through Latino politics
Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants, was first elected to his Los Angeles-area US House seat in 1992, two years before California voters passed Proposition 187, which aimed to deny undocumented immigrants’ access to public health and education services. Prop 187, which was blocked by the courts, sparked a rise in Latino political power in the state that coincided with Becerra’s rise in California politics.
If elected, Becerra would be California’s first Latino governor in more than 150 years. While Latino voters aren’t a unified bloc, Becerra’s background and immigration advocacy could help him.
In Congress, Becerra helped write and pass the Affordable Care Act and was a longtime supporter of a single-payer health care system. Throughout his more than two decades in Congress, Becerra also focused on immigration issues.
Becerra greets supporters during a campaign event in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Becerra overlapped briefly in Congress with Swalwell, who was first elected in 2012. He said on CNN recently that he and other lawmakers had “heard rumors” about Swalwell’s behavior. Swalwell exited the governor’s race and resigned from Congress earlier this month after CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle reported on allegations of sexual misconduct against him that he has denied.
Moderators at last week’s debate asked why Becerra, who served two terms as Democratic caucus chairman, never sought to investigate those rumors.
“You hear rumors all the time about all sorts of things,” he replied. “Rumors are not facts, and the Democratic caucus is not a place that adjudicates those things. Law enforcement does.”
In December 2016, former Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Becerra as attorney general. Four years later, former President Joe Biden nominated him as HHS secretary.
Becerra, right, walks with then-Vice President Joe Biden at the US Capitol in 2016.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images
Some chalked up his nomination to the Biden administration feeling pressure to add a high-ranking Latino official. In their book “This Will Not Pass,” journalists Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns described the selection of Becerra as a “hasty choice” designed to quell frustration among the Congressional Hispanic Caucus about the diversity of Biden’s cabinet.
“Obviously we were looking for a diverse cabinet, but I will say that Xavier jumped to mind,” Ron Klain, Biden’s first White House chief of staff, told CNN recently when asked about that reporting.
Klain said that Becerra was a “very logical pick” for the job due to his role in helping write and pass the Affordable Care Act, as well as his work defending it in court against the Trump administration as California’s attorney general.
A mixed record inside the administration
While Becerra was praised for his defense of the Affordable Care Act and abortion rights, some criticized his handling of the key crises the administration faced, from the Covid-19 response to his department’s handling of a record surge of unaccompanied migrant minors who arrived at the US-Mexico border. The children were placed in HHS custody, with some languishing in emergency facilities. Some Biden administration officials accused Becerra of lacking urgency in his response to the surge.
Republicans attacked Becerra over the emergency sites and what they argued was the hasty release of minors to US-based sponsors. Critics argued that thousands of children were unaccounted for after being released by HHS, though former Biden officials and experts in the field refute that.
Steyer targeted allegations that HHS lost track of minors in his new ad. “If you lose children, you’re not fit to lead California,” the ad states.
Becerra speaks during a news conference at US Health and Human Services headquarters on March 9, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Becerra’s campaign referred questions about his work at HHS to Klain, who fiercely defended Becerra’s work at the agency and is backing his gubernatorial campaign.
Klain said criticisms of Becerra’s handling of the surge of unaccompanied minors were “grossly unfair and grossly misguided.”
“There was no one who cared more about these children than Secretary Becerra,” Klain said. “He inherited a super, super tough situation, and worked night and day, day and night, to try to do the humane thing by these kids and get them reunited with their US family members.”
Becerra also faced criticism over HHS’ response to an outbreak of mpox, also known as monkeypox. Public health experts and leaders of LGBTQ advocacy groups accused the Biden administration and Becerra in particular of not acting with urgency to distribute the mpox vaccine.
“Becerra could not defend his record in Washington and a pretty abysmal record at HHS, from a slow response to monkeypox to losing track of tens of thousands of migrant children, some of whom were trafficked,” Mahan told CNN after a recent debate.
Klain said that while it took time to get the mpox vaccine from manufacturers overseas, the outbreak “was extinguished very quickly” because of Becerra’s leadership.
The increased scrutiny on Becerra has also mobilized some of his supporters, particularly in the immigrant rights community. Earlier this month, the board of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, or CHIRLA, Action Fund unanimously voted to endorse Becerra after 60% of the group’s members recommended him. The group held a press conference Monday to push back on claims Becerra mishandled the efforts to place young migrants with sponsors.
Angelica Salas, the president of the CHIRLA Action Fund, said part of the reason CHIRLA members backed Becerra was that they’d personally seen him fight for them.
Some members who benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program said they remembered sitting next to Becerra in the US Supreme Court as he led a successful coalition of states defending the program against the Trump administration.
“I always say, a lot of people love you in public, but don’t fight for you in private,” Salas said. “We need people who state their love for us and don’t keep us in the shadows.”
CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this report.