Overview
- Padilla announced at the U.S. Capitol that he will not run for governor in 2026 and will continue serving in the Senate.
- He framed the choice as staying in the fight over the Constitution and fundamental rights, saying the country faces extraordinary challenges.
- His office confirmed the decision as Padilla cited an outpouring of encouragement from Californians urging him to protect the state from a “vindictive president.”
- Padilla’s exit leaves a wide-open field without a dominant Democrat, with declared candidates including Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, Betty Yee, Katie Porter and Xavier Becerra, plus Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton under California’s top-two primary system in June 2026.
- He had been viewed as a top-tier potential contender following a June incident where DHS agents detained him at a Kristi Noem press event, and he said he weighed the decision after focusing on the Proposition 50 redistricting vote.