SACRAMENTO — U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) on Wednesday brushed apart questions on whether or not he would possibly leap into California’s 2026 governor’s race however declined to rule out the thought.
Padilla as a substitute mentioned he was wholly centered on selling the particular election in November when voters will likely be requested to redraw California’s congressional districts to counter efforts by President Trump and different GOP leaders to maintain Republicans accountable for Congress.
“I’m centered and I’d encourage all people to concentrate on this Nov. 4 particular election,” Padilla mentioned throughout an interview at a political summit in Sacramento sponsored by Politico.
The 52-year-old added that the hassle to redraw congressional districts, championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in response to related efforts in GOP-led states, isn’t solely in regards to the arcane course of often called redistricting.
“My Republican colleagues and particularly the White Home know the way unpopular and damaging what they’re doing is, from gutting Medicare, vitamin help applications, actually all these different areas of finances cuts to underwrite tax breaks for billionaires,” Padilla mentioned. “So their solely hope of staying in energy past subsequent November is to rig the system.”
In latest days, Padilla’s identify has emerged as a attainable candidate to exchange Newsom, who can not run for an additional time period. The sphere is unsettled, with unbiased polling carried out after former Vice President Kamala Harris opted to not run for governor displaying massive numbers of voters are undecided and with no clear front-runner.
Padilla pointed to his greater than quarter-century historical past of serving Californians at each degree of presidency when requested what is likely to be interesting in regards to the job.
“I really like California, proper?” he mentioned. “And I’ve had the privilege and the distinction of serving in so many various capacities.”
In 1999, the then-26-year-old was elected to the Los Angeles Metropolis Council. On the time, the MIT grad nonetheless lived together with his dad and mom — a Mexican-born housekeeper and a short-order prepare dinner — in Pacoima.
Padilla continued his regular climb via the state’s political ranks within the a long time that adopted, serving within the state Senate and as California secretary of state. Newsom appointed him to fill Harris’ Senate seat in 2020, making him the primary Latino to symbolize California within the Senate, and Padilla was elected to fill a full time period in 2022. His present Senate time period doesn’t finish till 2029, which means he wouldn’t should danger his seat to run for governor.
