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Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) said that he would not run for governor of California next year after considering getting in to the race. “It is with a full heart, and even more commitment than ever, that I am choosing to not run for governor of California next year,” Padilla told reporters on Tuesday. Padilla was viewed as a top tier contender had he entered the race, given his name ID having served as a U.S. senator since 2021. Former Rep. Katie Porter, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Beccera are among the major contenders on the Democratic side, and former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are among Republicans running. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also considered a run, but announced last summer that she would stay out of electoral politics for the time being. Developer Rick Caruso is said to be looking at the race, but he also is considering challenging Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who is up for reelection next year. In announcing that he would not run, Padilla said that “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.” Padilla garnered nation attention when he was pinned to the ground and handcuffed by federal agents after he entered a downtown Los Angeles press conference given by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and said that he had questions for her.
