Alex Padilla

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

U.S. Senate California

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

3

Predecessor

Kamala D. Harris

Prior offices

Los Angeles City Council

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California State Senate District 20

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California Secretary of State

Successor: Shirley Weber

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Appointed

December 22, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1994

Personal

Profession

Campaign staffer

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Alex Padilla (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from California. He assumed office on January 20, 2021. His current term ends on January 3, 2029.

Padilla (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent California. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Padilla also ran in a special election to the U.S. Senate to represent California. He won in the special general election on November 8, 2022.

On December 22, 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed Padilla to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy created by Sen. Kamala Harris becoming vice president of the United States. He was sworn in on January 20, 2021. Padilla will serve the remaining two years of Harris' term.

Padilla previously served as the California Secretary of State. He was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018. He left office on January 18, 2021, in order to be sworn in as a member of the United States Senate.

Padilla is a former Democratic member of the California State Senate, representing District 20 from 2006-2014. He was ineligible to run for re-election in 2014.

Prior to serving in the California Senate, Padilla was on the Los Angeles City Council from 1999-2006, serving as its president from 2001-2006.

Biography

Alex Padilla earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994 and graduated from the Coro Fellowship Program in Leadership and Public Affairs in 1995. Padilla's career experience includes working as a staffer, political director, or campaign manager for several Democratic politicians in California, including Dianne Feinstein, Richard Alarcon, Gilbert Cedillo, and Tony Cardenas. He served as the president of the League of California Cities and as a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2023-2024

Padilla was assigned to the following committees:

• Joint Committee on Printing
• Senate Committee on Budget
• Committee on Environment and Public Works
• Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety
• Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife
• Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
• Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management
• Committee on Judiciary
• Committee on Rules and Administration

2021-2022

Padilla was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
• Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management
• Joint Committee on Printing
• Committee on the Judiciary
• Subcommittee on Intellectual Property
• Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights
• Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, Chair
• Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
• Committee on Rules and Administration
• Senate Committee on Budget
• Committee on Environment and Public Works
• Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety
• Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight
• Transportation and Infrastructure

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Yea	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a simple majority vote in the Senate to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (87-13)
Yea	Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024   The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (H.R. 6363) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 17, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through January 19, 2024. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by November 17, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (87-11)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act   The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act (H.R. 5860) was a bill approved by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2023, providing for the funding of federal agencies through November 17, 2023. The bill prevented a government shutdown that would have taken place if funding was not approved by October 1, 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (88-9)
Yea	Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023   The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a three-fifths majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (63-36)
Nay	Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.   H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (68-23)
Nay	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".   H.J.Res. 44 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives relating to "Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached 'Stabilizing Braces'".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate. The bill sought to nullify a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule establishing criteria to determine whether firearms equipped with stabilizing braces that facilitate shoulder fire were subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate.	Failed (50-49)
Nay	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".   H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (50-46)

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes(click to expand)

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Yea	Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act   The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more.	Passed (69-30)
Yea	American Rescue Plan Act of 2021   The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (50-49)
Yea	Inflation Reduction Act of 2022   The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (51-50)
Nay	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Passed (88-11)
Yea	James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023   The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Passed (83-11)
Yea	Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022   The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address healthcare access, the presumption of service-connection, and research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Passed (86-11)
Yea	Chips and Science Act   The Chips and Science Act (H.R. 4346) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 9, 2022, which sought to fund domestic production of semiconductors and authorized various federal science agency programs and activities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Passed (64-33)
Yea	Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021   The Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives. The bill proposed prohibiting governmental restrictions on the provision of and access to abortion services and prohibiting governments from issuing some other abortion-related restrictions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Failed (46-48)
Yea	Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022   The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 15, 2022, providing for the funding of federal agencies for the remainder of 2022, providing funding for activities related to Ukraine, and modifying or establishing various programs. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Passed (68-31)
Yea	Respect for Marriage Act   The Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 13, 2022. The bill codified the recognition of marriages between individuals of the same sex and of different races, ethnicities, or national origins, and provided that the law would not impact religious liberty or conscience protections, or provide grounds to compel nonprofit religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more.	Passed (61-36)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023   The Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (H.R. 6833) was a bill approved by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2022. It provided for some fiscal year 2023 appropriations, supplemental funds for Ukraine, and extended several other programs and authorities. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Passed (72-25)
Yea	COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act   The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act (S. 937) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 20, 2021, that included provisions to designate an officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate expedited review of hate crimes, required the DOJ to issue guidance to law enforcement agencies aimed to establish online hate crime reporting processes and to raise awareness about hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and established state grants to create hate crime reporting hotlines, among other related provisions. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Passed (94-1)
Yea	Postal Service Reform Act of 2022   The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (H.R. 3076) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 6, 2022, that sought to address healthcare and retirement benefits for postal workers, allow USPS to provide certain nonpostal products and services, and expand service performance and budgetary reporting. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Passed (79-19)
Yea	Bipartisan Safer Communities Act   The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938) was a firearm regulation and mental health bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 25, 2022. Provisions of the bill included expanding background checks for individuals under the age of 21, providing funding for mental health services, preventing individuals who had been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or felony in dating relationships from purchasing firearms for five years, providing funding for state grants to implement crisis intervention order programs, and providing funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more.	Passed (65-33)
Yea	Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act   The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (H.R. 5305) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2021, that provided for continuing fiscal year 2022 appropriations to federal agencies through December 3, 2021, in order to prevent a government shutdown that would have otherwise occurred if fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills had not been passed by October 1, 2021. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate.	Passed (65-35)
Guilty	Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   This was a resolution before the 117th Congress setting forth an article of impeachment saying that Donald Trump (R) incited an insurrection against the government of the United States on January 6, 2021. The House of Representatives approved the article of impeachment, and the Senate adjudged that Trump was not guilty of the charges. Conviction on the impeachment charges required a 2/3 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Not guilty (57-43)
Yea	Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022   The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 (H.R. 350) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to expand the availability and reporting of information about domestic terrorism, enhance the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) ability to prosecute domestic terrorism, among other things. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage.	Failed (47-47)
Yea	A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031.   This concurrent resolution (S.Con.Res. 14) was a budget resolution passed by the 117th Congress outlining the fiscal year 2022 federal government budget, setting forth budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023-2031, and providing reconciliation instructions for legislation that increased the deficit. It contained a proposed framework for the Build Back Better Act. The resolution required 1/2 majority vote in the Senate. Click here to read more.	Passed (50-49)
Yea	Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act   The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act was a federal elections bill approved by the House of Representatives and voted down by the Senate in a failed cloture vote that sought to, among other provisions, make Election Day a public holiday, allow for same-day voter registration, establish minimum early voting periods, and allow absentee voting for any reason, restrict the removal of local election administrators in federal elections, regulate congressional redistricting, expand campaign finance disclosure rules for some organizations, and amend the Voting Rights Act to require some states to obtain clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice before implementing new election laws. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to invoke cloture and a 1/2 majority vote on passage. Click here to read more.	Failed (49-51)
Yea	Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022   The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act was a bill passed by the 117th Congress in the form of an amendment to a year-end omnibus funding bill that was signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022. The bill changed the procedure for counting electoral votes outlined in the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Elements of the bill included specifying that the vice president's role at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes is ministerial, raising the objection threshold at the joint session of congress to count electoral votes to one-fifth of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying governors as the single official responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying that state’s electors, and providing for expedited judicial review of certain claims about states' certificates identifying their electors. The bill required a 3/5 majority vote in the Senate to concur in the House's version of the bill. Click here to read more.	Passed (68-29)

Elections

2022

Regular election

See also: United States Senate election in California, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate California

Incumbent Alex Padilla defeated Mark Meuser in the general election for U.S. Senate California on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alex Padilla (D)	61.1	6,621,621
		Mark Meuser (R)	38.9	4,222,029

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,843,650
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for U.S. Senate California

The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. Senate California on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alex Padilla (D)	54.1	3,725,544
✔		Mark Meuser (R)	14.9	1,028,374
		Cordie Williams (R)	6.9	474,321
		Jonathan Elist (R)	4.2	289,716
		Chuck Smith (R)	3.9	266,766
		James P. Bradley (R)	3.4	235,788
		Douglas Howard Pierce (D)	1.7	116,771
		John Parker (Peace and Freedom Party)	1.5	105,477
		Sarah Sun Liew (R)	1.1	76,994
		Dan O'Dowd (D)	1.1	74,916
		Akinyemi Agbede (D)	1.0	70,971
		Myron Hall (R)	1.0	66,161
		Timothy Ursich Jr. (D)	0.8	58,348
		Robert Lucero (R)	0.8	53,398
		James Henry Conn (G)	0.5	35,983
		Eleanor Garcia (Independent)	0.5	34,625
		Carlos Guillermo Tapia (R)	0.5	33,870
		Pamela Elizondo (G)	0.5	31,981
		Enrique Petris (R)	0.5	31,883
		Obaidul Huq Pirjada (D)	0.4	27,889
		Daphne Bradford (Independent)	0.4	26,900
		Don Grundmann (Independent)	0.1	10,181
		Deon Jenkins (Independent)	0.1	6,936
		Mark Ruzon (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	206
		Lily Zhou (R) (Write-in)	0.0	58
		Irene Ratliff (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	7
		Marc Roth (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	1

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,884,065
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Chloe Hollett-Billingsley (D)
• Dhruva Herle (D)
• Chris Theodore (D)
• Ernest Taylor (D)
• B. John-Michael Williams (Independent)
• Marie Encar Arnold (D)
• Peter Yuan Liu (R)
• Brian Ainsworth (R)
• Yvonne Girard (R)
• Elizabeth Heng (R)
• Erik Urbina (R)
• Denard Ingram (D)
• Ellerton Whitney (L)
• Danny Fabricant (R)
• Fepbrina Keivaulqe Autiameineire (Independent)
• Paul Gutierrez (R)
• Mary Glory Thach (Independent)

Special election

See also: United States Senate special election in California, 2022

General election

Special general election for U.S. Senate California

Incumbent Alex Padilla defeated Mark Meuser in the special general election for U.S. Senate California on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alex Padilla (D)	60.9	6,559,308
		Mark Meuser (R)	39.1	4,212,450

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,771,758
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Special nonpartisan primary for U.S. Senate California

The following candidates ran in the special primary for U.S. Senate California on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alex Padilla (D)	55.0	3,740,582
✔		Mark Meuser (R)	22.1	1,503,480
		James P. Bradley (R)	6.9	472,052
		Jonathan Elist (R)	5.9	403,722
		Timothy Ursich Jr. (D)	3.3	226,447
		Dan O'Dowd (D)	2.8	191,531
		Myron Hall (R)	2.1	143,038
		Daphne Bradford (Independent)	1.6	112,191
		John Parker (Peace and Freedom Party) (Write-in)	0.1	9,951
		Irene Ratliff (No party preference) (Write-in)	0.0	12

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,803,006
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Yvonne Girard (R)

2018

See also: California Secretary of State election, 2018

General election

General election for California Secretary of State

Incumbent Alex Padilla defeated Mark Meuser in the general election for California Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alex Padilla (D)	64.5	7,909,521
		Mark Meuser (R)	35.5	4,362,545

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,272,066 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for California Secretary of State

The following candidates ran in the primary for California Secretary of State on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alex Padilla (D)	52.6	3,475,633
✔		Mark Meuser (R)	31.0	2,047,903
		Ruben Major (D)	5.4	355,036
		Raul Rodriguez Jr. (R)	5.0	330,460
		Gail Lightfoot (L)	2.4	155,879
		Michael Feinstein (G)	2.1	136,725
		C.T. Weber (Peace and Freedom Party)	0.9	61,375
		Erik Rydberg (G)	0.7	48,705

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 6,611,716
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2014

See also: California secretary of state election, 2014

Padilla ran for Secretary of State of California in the 2014 elections. Debra Bowen (D) was ineligible for re-election in 2014 due to term limits. Padilla secured a spot in the general election following the top-two primary on June 3, 2014, and defeated Republican Pete Peterson in the general election on November 4, 2014.

Results

General election

Secretary of State of California, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Alex Padilla	53.6%	3,799,711
	Republican	Pete Peterson	46.4%	3,285,334
Total Votes				7,085,045
Election results via California Secretary of State

Primary election

California Secretary of State, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Alex Padilla	30.2%	1,217,371
	Republican	Pete Peterson	29.7%	1,194,715
	Democratic	Leland Yee	9.4%	380,361
	Nonpartisan	Dan Schnur	9.2%	369,898
	Democratic	Derek Cressman	7.6%	306,375
	Republican	Roy Allmond	6.4%	256,668
	Democratic	Jeff Drobman	4.4%	178,521
	Green	David Curtis	3%	121,618
Total Votes				4,025,527
Election results California Secretary of State

Polls

Information about polls can be found by clicking [show] at the right.

California Secretary of State Poll Derek Cressman (D) Alex Padilla (D) Pete Peterson (R) Dan Schnur (NPP) David Scott Curtis (G) Leland Yee (D) Other Undecided Margin of error Sample size The Field Poll (without Yee) March 18-April 5, 2014 2% 17% 30% 4% 5% 0% 0% 41% +/-5.5 292 The Field Poll (with Yee) March 18-April 5, 2014 3% 10% 27% 4% 4% 8% 1% 44% +/-6.5 212 AVERAGES 2.5% 13.5% 28.5% 4% 4.5% 4% 0.5% 42.5% +/-6 252 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Issues

Information about issues in the race can be found by clicking [show] at the right.

Plastic bag ban On September 30, 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Padilla sponsored in the state Senate banning single-use plastic bags at grocery store checkouts in the state of California. Padilla, a nominee for the open secretary of state seat in the 2014 elections, faced ads opposing him in the months prior to the bill's approval. Top-two primary system Padilla, running for California Secretary of State in 2014 on the promise of free and fair elections, expressed concern over the ballot access limitations affecting minor parties due to new requirements implemented in 2012 with the top-two primary system. Under those new qualifications, minor party candidates must collect 10,000 signatures to waive a filing fee equal to two percent of the first year's salary for state offices or one percent for members of Congress. Prior to implementing the top-two system, the number of signatures required to waive that fee was 150, so most minor parties opted to file petitions. Senator Padilla's office said in February 2014 it was looking into legislative solutions to improve ballot access for minor parties.

Primary election background

Information about the race background can be found by clicking [show] at the right.

Primary election Stances on top-two primary system One of the key issues of the 2014 secretary of state primary was the signature and filing requirements for minor party candidates under California's top-two primary system. Under new qualifications implemented with the top-two primary system, minor party candidates must collect 10,000 signatures to waive a filing fee equal to 2 percent of the first year's salary for state offices or 1 percent for members of Congress. Prior to implementing the top-two system, the number of signatures required to waive that fee was 150, so most minor parties opted to file petitions. After launching their campaigns for California Secretary of State, California State Senator Alex Padilla (D) and ex-state Sen. Leland Yee (D), who ultimately had to withdraw from the race after he was arrested in March 2014, expressed concerns about ballot access limitations for minor parties under the top-two primary system. Yee opposed the top-two system during his time in the California State Senate and Senator Padilla said his office was looking into legislative solutions. Green Party candidate David Scott Curtis campaigned against the top-two system while independent candidate Dan Schnur, who was designated "no party preference" on the ballot since California’s Proposition 14 took away candidates' "independent" label option, was in favor of the system. Democrat Derek Cressman openly opposed the system but did not focus on the issue during his campaign. Also in the race, Democrat Jeff Drobman and two Republicans, Pete Peterson and Roy Allmond, had not made their stances on the top-two system known prior to the primary. Candidates excluded from debate A California non-profit association called the Sacramento Press Club incited the ire of Green Party candidate David Scott Curtis after failing to invite him and two other 2014 secretary of state candidates to participate in an April 23 debate. With seven candidates in the running, the Sacramento Press Club said they wanted to restrict the size of the event by only including "top contenders in a crowded field," whom they determined to be Pete Peterson (R), state Sen. Alex Padilla (D), Dan Schnur (I) and Derek Cressman (D). By the time Curtis learned of his exclusion, back-to-back Field Polls had been released showing Curtis ahead of both Schnur and Cressman. Absent an immediate explanation or apology from the Sacramento Press Club, Curtis used social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to broadcast his outrage over what he considered a conspicuous display of political bias by the tax-exempt organization. Curtis also filed an IRS investigation request related to the group's tax-exempt status. A press club representative characterized Curtis's actions as a "tirade of insulting and threatening social media posts" against the organization. The Green Party hopeful questioned what such selectivity meant for the state of 'journalism' in an attempt to highlight the significance of the snub. Curtis also noted that some of the major-party candidates were already known for courting media attention. Schnur was known for furnishing the Capitol press, whose members make up a large portion of the Sacramento Press Club, with sound bites and other material. Schnur was one of the two candidates to receive invitations to the debate hosted by the press club despite trailing Curtis in the polls. Joe Mathews, the California editor at Zocalo Public Square, wrote, “Of course, I’m for Dan Schnur for Secretary of State. I’m in the media, and he’s our candidate...He’s the favored candidate of our state’s political media, which feeds us polls and old, bogus narratives about the state.” Meanwhile, Northern California's chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists honored Leland Yee with its Public Official Award shortly before Yee's arrest forced him to exit the race. Yee Arrest On March 26, 2014, Democratic candidate Leland Yee was arraigned on seven charges of corruption and firearms trafficking. Yee, along with 25 others, was involved in an FBI operation to uncover those suspected of illegal activities involving drugs, guns and arranging murder for hire. Yee's alleged illegal activities stemmed from his debt acquired in a failed run for San Francisco mayor in 2011 and money raised for the Secretary of State race. Authorities believed Yee accepted money for official actions performed while in office. These actions included urging an agency to accept a software contract from a specific vendor in exchange for $10,000, writing a Senate proclamation to honor the Chee Kung Tong group for $6,800 and introducing a medical marijuana businessman to state legislators working on the issue for $21,000. Unknown to Yee, all of these paying contacts were undercover agents. In other attempts to raise money, Yee allegedly promised to help other undercover agents obtain illegal guns from an international arms dealer. Despite no longer being in the race, Yee's name remained on the primary ballot.

2010

See also: California State Senate elections, 2010

Padilla won re-election to the 20th District seat in 2010. He had no primary opposition. He defeated Republican Kathleen Evans and Libertarian Adrian Galysh in the November 2 general election.

California State Senate, District 20 General Election (2010)
Candidates		Votes
Alex Padilla (D)		94,356
Kathleen Evans (R)		37,420
Adrian Galysh (L)		6,245

2006

Senator Padilla on menu labelling law

In 2006 Padilla was elected to the California State Senate, District 20. He finished with 84,459 votes while his opponent Pamela Brown finished with 28,377 votes. Padilla raised $1,947,933 for his campaign fund.

California State Senate, District 20
Candidates		Votes
Alex Padilla (D)		84,459
Pamela Brown (L)		28,377

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Alex Padilla did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Alex Padilla did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage and endorsements scopes.

Notable candidate endorsements by Alex Padilla

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
George Whitesides  source  (D)	U.S. House California District 27 (2024)	Primary	Advanced in Primary
Judy Chu  source  (D)	U.S. House California District 28 (2024)	Primary	Advanced in Primary
Lateefah Simon  source  (D)	U.S. House California District 12 (2024)	Primary	Advanced in Primary
Joe Biden  source  (D)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	–
Tom Perez  source  (D)	Governor of Maryland (2022)	Primary	Lost Primary
Joe Biden  source  (D)	President of the United States (2020)	Primary	Won General
Kamala D. Harris  source  (D)	President of the United States (2020)		Withdrew in Convention

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Alex Padilla

Measure	Position	Outcome
California Proposition 13, School and College Facilities Bond (March 2020)  source	Support	Defeated
California Proposition 14, Stem Cell Research Institute Bond Initiative (2020)  source	Support	Approved
California Proposition 16, Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment (2020)  source	Support	Defeated
California Proposition 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2022)  source	Support	Approved
California Proposition 17, Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment (2020)  source	Support	Approved
California Proposition 18, Primary Voting for 17-Year-Olds Amendment (2020)  source	Support	Defeated

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Alex Padilla campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. Senate California	Won general	$11,754,411	$4,192,836
2022	U.S. Senate California	Won general	$12,026,093	$4,572,867
2014	California Secretary of State	Won	$2,825,613	N/A**
2010	California State Senate, District 20	Won	$1,193,644	N/A**
2006	California State Senate, District 20	Won	$1,947,933	N/A**
Grand total			$29,747,694	$8,765,703
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

Noteworthy events

Response to June 2017 request for voter rolls

See also: State government responses to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity

On June 29, 2017, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which had been created by President Donald Trump on May 11, requested information on registered voters from all 50 states dating back to 2006. The states were given until July 14 to respond. On June 29, Secretary Padilla announced that the state would refuse to provide the requested information to the commission.

“	I will not provide sensitive voter information to a commission that has already inaccurately passed judgment that millions of Californians voted illegally...California's participation would only serve to legitimize the false and already debunked claims of massive voter fraud made by the President, the Vice President, and Mr. Kobach.	”
—Secretary Alex Padilla

Ballot measure activity

The following table details Padilla's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for Alex Padilla
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
California Proposition 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2022)	2022	Supported	a Approved

State legislative career

• Information about Padilla's committee assigments and legislative scorecards (click to expand)

  Committee assignments

  2013-2014

  At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Padilla served on the following committees:

  2011-2012

  In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Padilla served on these committees:

  2009-2010

  In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Padilla served on these committees:

  Scorecards

  See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in California

  A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

  Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

  Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of California scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  2014

  In 2014, the California State Legislature was in session from January 6 to August 30.

  • California Chamber of Commerce

  Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the chamber.

  • California Civil Liberties Council

  Legislators are scored by the California Civil Liberties Council on their votes on "bills related to due process, privacy rights, equal protection, and criminal justice."

  • California Clean Money Action Scorecard

  Legislators are scored by California Clean Money Action on their votes on bills "to limit the undue influence of Big Money in politics in California."

  • California Environmental Justice Alliance

  Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.

  • California Labor Federation

  Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to labor.

  • California League of Conservation Voters

  Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.

  • Clean Water Action

  Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to water policy.

  • Congress of California Seniors

  Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that relate to senior issues

  • Consumer Federation of California

  Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to consumers.

  • Equality California

  Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported by the organization.

  • Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association

  Legislators are scored on their votes on taxpayer-related issues.

  • National Federation of Independent Business

  Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.

  • Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California

  Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization.

  • Secular Coalition for California

  Legislators are scored on their stances on secular policy.

  • Sierra Club California

  Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy.

  • The American Conservative Union

  Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

  
  

  2013

  To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].

  In 2013, the California State Legislature was in session from December 3, 2012, to September 13, 2013 California Environmental Justice Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. California Humane Society Legislators are scored on their votes on bills and letters supported by CHS. California Labor Federation Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to labor. California ProLife Council Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by CPC. Capital Resource Institute Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues. Congress of California Seniors Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to senior issues. Consumer Federation of California Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to consumers. Equality California Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported by EQ CA. Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association Legislators are scored on their votes on taxpayer-related issues. Planned Parenthood - Assembly & Senate Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by PP. Sierra Club California Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

  
  

  2012

  To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show].

  In 2012, the California State Legislature was in session from January 4 to August 31. California Clean Money Action Scorecard Legislators are scored by California Clean Money Action on their votes on bills "to limit the undue influence of Big Money in politics in California." California Humane Society Legislators are scored on their votes on bills and letters signed supported by CHS. California Labor Federation Legislators are scored on their votes on issues related to labor. California League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues. Clean Water Action Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to water issues. Congress of California Seniors Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to senior issues. Consumer Federation of California Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to consumers. Equality California Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported by EQ CA. Howard Jarvis Taxpayer's Association Legislators are scored on their votes on taxpayer-related issues. Planned Parenthood Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization. Sierra Club California Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

See also

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U.S. Senate California

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Footnotes

[show]

California's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Laphonza Butler (D)

Alex Padilla (D)

Representatives

District 1

Doug LaMalfa (R)

District 2

Jared Huffman (D)

District 3

Kevin Kiley (R)

District 4

Mike Thompson (D)

District 5

Tom McClintock (R)

District 6

Ami Bera (D)

District 7

Doris Matsui (D)

District 8

John Garamendi (D)

District 9

Josh Harder (D)

District 10

Mark DeSaulnier (D)

District 11

Nancy Pelosi (D)

District 12

Barbara Lee (D)

District 13

John Duarte (R)

District 14

Eric Swalwell (D)

District 15

Kevin Mullin (D)

District 16

Anna Eshoo (D)

District 17

Ro Khanna (D)

District 18

Zoe Lofgren (D)

District 19

Jimmy Panetta (D)

District 20

Vacant

District 21

Jim Costa (D)

District 22

David Valadao (R)

District 23

Jay Obernolte (R)

District 24

Salud Carbajal (D)

District 25

Raul Ruiz (D)

District 26

Julia Brownley (D)

District 27

Mike Garcia (R)

District 28

Judy Chu (D)

District 29

Tony Cárdenas (D)

District 30

Adam Schiff (D)

District 31

Grace Napolitano (D)

District 32

Brad Sherman (D)

District 33

Pete Aguilar (D)

District 34

Jimmy Gomez (D)

District 35

Norma Torres (D)

District 36

Ted Lieu (D)

District 37

Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D)

District 38

Linda Sánchez (D)

District 39

Mark Takano (D)

District 40

Young Kim (R)

District 41

Ken Calvert (R)

District 42

Robert Garcia (D)

District 43

Maxine Waters (D)

District 44

Nanette Barragán (D)

District 45

Michelle Steel (R)

District 46

Lou Correa (D)

District 47

Katie Porter (D)

District 48

Darrell Issa (R)

District 49

Mike Levin (D)

District 50

Scott Peters (D)

District 51

Sara Jacobs (D)

District 52

Juan Vargas (D)

Democratic Party (42)

Republican Party (11)

Vacancies (1)