Overview
- The California senator announced his decision at the Capitol as voters weighed Proposition 50, a redistricting measure he had campaigned for after pledging to decide once the vote concluded.
- Padilla said he will continue oversight work and defend constitutional rights from the Senate through his term ending in 2029.
- His decision removes a major potential contender from an open 2026 race featuring Democrats Katie Porter, Xavier Becerra, Antonio Villaraigosa, Betty Yee and Tony Thurmond, alongside Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.
- Padilla’s national profile grew in June when DHS officers tackled and handcuffed him as he tried to question Secretary Kristi Noem at a Los Angeles news conference.
- With Gov. Gavin Newsom term-limited and Kamala Harris also opting out, the top-two primary moves forward without a clear Democratic frontrunner.