Becerra once pushed for the death penalty, but says he would extend a moratorium if elected California governor
Democrat Xavier Becerra defended the death penalty while serving as California’s attorney general, a punishment his office actively sought in the case of a gunman convicted of an Orange County mass shooting, but as the front-running candidate for governor he has vowed to block executions if elected in November.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat · September 8, 2026
By Nicole Nixon, Los Angeles Times SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Democrat Xavier Becerra defended the death penalty while serving as California’s attorney general, a punishment his office actively sought in the case of a gunman convicted of an Orange County m