The California Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Xavier Becerra’s bid for governor —the first Democrat the powerful business group has ever supported in a gubernatorial race.
CalChamber’s board of directors voted Thursday to endorse Becerra over Republican Steve Hilton, calling the Dem political veteran “best positioned” to deliver “stability and certainty” to California businesses.
“California needs collaboration, not conflict. Secretary Becerra represents the best candidate to embrace that style of leadership,” CalChamber President & CEO Jennifer Barrera said in a statement.
Both Becerra and Hilton had pitched the group on their plans at CalChamber’s quarterly meeting.
Becerra is the first Democrat CalChamber has endorsed in a California governor’s race.
The influential group representing the interests of major California employers last endorsed former eBay exec Meg Whitman’s failed governor bid in 2010 and also backed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reelection campaign in 2006, Politico reported.
Hilton blasted the endorsement in a social media video, calling Becerra a “corporate stooge.”
Corporations have spent millions to help Becerra get elected through outside spending committees.
Chevron, McDonald’s, California Resources Corp. and others have contributed $500,000 to a pro-Becerra spending committee, CalMatters reported.
Meta and AirBnB kicked in $1 million each and Centene, which runs California-based HealthNet, gave $100,000 to help Becerra, a former Health and Human Services secretary who was also attorney general of California and a congressman.
The leading Dem was excoriated by lefties for once remarking “I need Chevron, you need Chevron” and refusing to fully back California’s controversial zero-emissions mandate, which aims to phase out gas-powered cars, trucks and equipment by 2035.
“It tells you about the corruption that’s at the heart of our system of government and that’s what I”m running to change,” Hitlon said of the CalChamber’s endorsement.
“We’ve got to have a climate for business in this state that creates jobs and wealth and opportunity. That means taking on the bloated, bureaucratic regulations that Becerra is going to make worse,” Hilton fumed.
Becerra has racked up endorsements from institutional interests including SEIU California, the state Building and Construction Trades Council and the California Medical Association.
Becerra was also endorsed this week by Gov. Gavin Newsom and former vice president Kamala Harris.
