Speaking from the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, California Sen. Alex Padilla said it was “with a full heart” and “more commitment than ever” that he was choosing to remain in Congress rather than seek the governor’s mansion.
“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. Our core values are worth fighting for. The American dream is worth fighting for,” Padilla (D) said.
As California’s senior senator and a fixture in state politics, Padilla would have brought formidable assets to a governor race without a commanding front-runner.
A concerted campaign to draft Padilla spoke to the unsettled state of the field after former Vice President Kamala Harris took a pass earlier this year and interest groups and elected officials hunted for an alternative to poll-leader former Rep. Katie Porter, who is facing fallout from videos of her sparring with a reporter and berating a staffer.