Senator Alex Padilla has officially put to rest rumors surrounding a potential run for California governor: he is not running in the upcoming election.
“It is with a full heart and even more commitment than ever that I’m choosing to not run for governor of California next year,” Padilla announced during a speech at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, November 4.
RELATED: Kamala Harris will not run for governor of California
“I choose not just to stay in the Senate. I choose to stay in this fight because the Constitution is worth fighting for. Our fundamental rights are worth fighting for,” Padilla added.
In recent weeks, Padilla had dismissed growing speculation that he would enter the race for California’s chief executive. Instead, his focus was on Proposition 50, a redistricting ballot measure before California voters on the same day.
With no clear, strong frontrunner emerging yet in the race for governor, Padilla was considered a formidable candidate. “Current contenders can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Matt Lesenyie, a political psychology expert and professor at Cal State Long Beach. “His entry would have been devastating to their prospects,” he explained.
Padilla ended the speculation with his speech on Tuesday, where he also criticized the Trump administration and its policies.
“Countless Californians have urged me to do everything I could to protect California and the ‘American dream’ from a vindictive president who seems hellbent on raising costs for working families, rolling back environmental protections, cutting access to health care, and jeopardizing reproductive rights,” Padilla said.
The senator also recalled a now infamous press conference in Los Angeles held by the Trump administration in June amid increased immigration enforcement efforts in Southern California.
Padilla was forcibly removed from the event when he attempted to ask questions. Video footage showed him kneeling on the ground before officers pushed him down and handcuffed him.
“As alarming as that experience was—not just for me and my family but for most people who have seen the video—countless people have told me, ‘I’m glad you’re fighting for us. I’m glad you’re there,’” Padilla said.
Padilla, 52, was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020, after then-Senator Kamala Harris vacated the seat to become Vice President of the United States. He successfully ran for a full six-year term in 2022, becoming California’s first Latino to hold a full-term U.S. Senate seat.
Raised in Pacoima as the son of Mexican immigrants, Padilla’s political journey began in the early 1990s. His early political involvement was heavily influenced by the political climate of the late 1980s and early ’90s in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles, a period marked by rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
One significant moment from that era was Proposition 187, a 1994 California ballot initiative that sought to deny undocumented immigrants access to public services including education, health care, and social services, and also required the reporting of suspected undocumented immigrants to authorities. Though ultimately struck down by the courts, the initiative galvanized Padilla and many in his generation to pursue public service.
He actively joined protests against Proposition 187 and eventually found a path into politics and government, managing political campaigns for various legislative candidates and serving as a field representative for then-Senator Dianne Feinstein.
According to Lesenyie, a run for governor would have been one of Padilla’s first competitive political contests in some time.
“Even winning would have meant weakening his political brand by weighing in on minor differences between him and the Democratic field,” Lesenyie said. “He also would have been pulled into relatively meaningless culture war fights from his Republican challengers.”
He added, “As for staying in the Senate, it’s a long commute but a safe seat. Padilla is exceptionally talented. He’s sharp. You can tell he reads his briefings and is well-versed in whatever policy he opines on.”
Now that Padilla is officially not running and with Kamala Harris also opting out, the spotlight returns to those candidates who have already declared their intentions.
Former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, former Fox News host Steve Hilton, former Representative Katie Porter, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are trending towards the top in recent polls. However, none of them currently boast a commanding lead.
Ryan Carter contributed to this report.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/04/sen-alex-padilla-rules-out-run-for-california-governor/