By Antonio Ray Harvey

California Black Media

Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra met privately with Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) on Nov. 5 before the three appeared together at a news conference at the State Capitol.

It was the first joint public appearance by the “Big Three” Democratic leaders since Becerra won the gubernatorial election two days earlier. The leaders said affordability would be a central focus of their work, including housing, health care and energy costs.

“Get used to this because I think this is what we’re going to be doing. We’ve got a lot of jobs to do,” Becerra told reporters. “The public made it clear we should focus on jobs one, two, and three. And the cost of living, one, two, and three.”

Becerra added, “We’re letting California families know we want them to stay, thrive here, and we want them to retire here in California.”

The leaders said they would move quickly to put Proposition 1 housing bond funds to work, protect health coverage and access to care, and lower energy costs. They also discussed regulating artificial intelligence while protecting consumers and working families.

Becerra said the issues were “on the table,” but the leaders had not settled on specific policies or tax strategies as they reviewed the state budget outlook.

“I spoke about affordability when I was sworn in as speaker back in June 2023, and the work continues,” Rivas said. “(This election) was not about Trump, Republicans, and their policies. It’s not about endorsement of Democrats. Our mandate is to do things differently. People want change.”

Asked by California Black Media (CBM) how his administration would help Black Californians buy homes and keep the ones they have, Becerra said he was prepared to work with members of the California Legislative Black Caucus.

“Ready to work. What else can I tell you? Ready to work with everybody,” Becerra told CBM. “Pretty much every member came up to me and pretty much every member has been known to meet with me in the state Assembly and in the state Senate.”

The question comes amid a persistent gap in homeownership. A 2024 Public Policy Institute of California analysis found that 36.6% of Black households in California owned their homes, compared with 64.5% of white households. Housing affordability is a challenge statewide, the institute has reported.

During his campaign, Becerra met with Black leaders in Southern California, including at a South Los Angeles meet-and-greet. A week before the election, he held a Black Community Leaders Reception at Oakstop, a Black-owned business and community space in Oakland. Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Ken Maxey, president and CEO of the Urban League of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, attended, along with representatives of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) and other Black-led and Black-serving organizations.