The former HHS Secretary and California Attorney General, who spent months languishing in the lower tiers of polling, is suddenly catching a tailwind. His campaign credits what they're calling the FOXes — Friends of Xavier — a coalition that apparently extends well beyond his old political networks. The surge is being driven in particular by young voters and women, two demographics that any serious candidate needs to lock down.

Let's be honest about what we're looking at here. Becerra's record in federal government wasn't exactly a masterclass in limited, efficient governance. As HHS Secretary, he presided over an agency that ballooned in both scope and spending. His tenure as California AG was heavy on progressive posturing and light on the kind of accountability reforms the state desperately needed. If you're a voter who thinks Sacramento (or Washington) already has too much power and too little oversight, Becerra's résumé should give you pause.

But politics isn't a philosophy seminar — it's a vibes contest. And right now, Becerra's vibes are working.

The real question is whether this surge has legs or whether it's the kind of polling sugar rush that fades once voters start scrutinizing actual policy positions. Young voters are notoriously enthusiastic in polls and unreliable at the ballot box. Female voters, on the other hand, tend to follow through — which could make this coalition more durable than skeptics assume.

For fiscally minded voters, the play here is simple: don't sleep on Becerra just because he was an afterthought three months ago. If he makes it to the top tier, his record on spending, regulation, and government expansion deserves the full spotlight treatment. Momentum is nice. But receipts are forever.

We'll be watching the FOXes closely. You should too.