The Becerra era and Raman’s ‘earthquake’ in LA
TRANSITION BEGINS — In the five months between Xavier Becerra ’s come-from-behind primary victory and his general election win, he and his circle could deflect questions about his coming administration. California can only have one governor at a time, they said, and he wasn’t taking anything for granted. But now that voters have officially made him their next governor, everyone in Sacramento is racing to get some answers about what comes next: Who will Becerra hire and appoint? Which interest groups will be ascendant? What policies will he prioritize? The lobbyists, union officials and legislative leaders at his victory party offer some hints. Among the VIP’s circulating in West Sacramento were Becerra team members, including campaign hands Robbie Abelon, Kyle Layman and Lindsey Cobia — an erstwhile top Gavin Newsom deputy — and unofficial counselors like Arsenio Mataka, a former aide from Becerra’s attorney general days who focused on environmental issues. As we’ve noted elsewhere , Becerra’s sphere also includes adviser Courtni Pugh, longtime aide Liz Saldivar, veteran politico Karen Skelton, and policy adviser Nicole Elliott (another Newsom alum). Some of Sacramento’s most powerful interest groups did not endorse Becerra until it was evident he’d prevail. That made his early
