| Xavier Becerra | |
|---|---|
| Democratic Caucus Vice-Chairman of the United States House of Representatives | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 2009 |
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| Preceded by | John B. Larson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 31st district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2003 |
|
| Preceded by | Hilda Solis |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 30th district |
|
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 |
|
| Preceded by | Matthew G. Martínez |
| Succeeded by | Henry Waxman |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 59th district |
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| In office 1990–1992 |
|
| Preceded by | Charles Calderon |
| Succeeded by | Dick Mountjoy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 26, 1958 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Carolina Reyes |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stanford Law School (J.D.) Stanford University (B.A.) |
| Occupation | Attorney Politician |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Xavier Becerra (English pronunciation: /hɑːviˈɛər bɨˈsɛrə/ "HAH-vee-air"; born January 26, 1958) is the U.S. Representative for California's 31st congressional district, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Los Angeles.
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Becerra was born in Sacramento, California, the son of working-class immigrants. He graduated in 1976 from C.K. McClatchy High School located in central city Sacramento. He went on to earn his B.A. in economics from Stanford University and his J.D. from Stanford Law School. He was initially a lawyer, working on cases involving individuals with mental impairment. He was also a staff member for California State Senator Art Torres and the Deputy Attorney-General of California. Becerra was a one-term member of the California State Assembly before entering the House.
Becerra is a prominent member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which he served as chairman during the 105th Congress.
Rep. Becerra is a frequent guest on Kudlow & Company. He was featured on The Colbert Report's Better Know a District on August 17, 2006.
On September 29, 2008 Becerra voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 because he "wanted to see direct protections for responsible homeowners" in the bill.[1]
Becerra considered running for Democratic Caucus Vice Chair for the 110th Congress; however, he deferred to John Larson when DCCC chairman Rahm Emanuel decided to run for Caucus Chair, the position Larson had been running for. Instead, Becerra was assistant to the Speaker for that congressional session.
Before the opening of the 111th Congress, Emanuel accepted a position as White House Chief of Staff in the Obama Administration. Larson succeeded Emanuel as caucus chair, and Becerra won his bid to succeed Larson as Vice-Chair. He defeated Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote of 175-67.[2]
Becerra ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001. He finished with 6 percent of the primary vote, finishing behind businessman Steve Soboroff, Councilman Joel Wachs, former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, and the eventual winner, then-City Attorney James Hahn.
On January 27, 2008, Becerra formally endorsed Illinois Senator Barack Obama for President.[3]
Becerra was considered for the position of US Trade Representative in the administration of President-elect Obama. While it was initially reported that he had already accepted,[4] on December 15, 2008, he announced that he would not accept the position.[5]
Becerra is married to physician Carolina Reyes[6] and has three children. He resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife and three children, Clarisa, Olivia, and Natalia.
| California Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles Calderon |
Member of the California State Assembly from the 59th district 1990–1992 |
Succeeded by Dick Mountjoy |
| United States House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by Matthew G. Martínez |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 30th congressional district 1993–2003 |
Succeeded by Henry Waxman |
| Preceded by Hilda Solis |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 31st congressional district 2003–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by John B. Larson |
Democratic Caucus Vice-Chairman of the United States House of Representatives 2009–present |
Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Roscoe Bartlett R-Maryland |
United States Representatives by seniority 68th |
Succeeded by Sanford Bishop D-Georgia |
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