Padilla says he won't run for governor

California senator says he will stay in Congress to fight Trump's agenda.

- ANA CEBALLOS AND JULIA WICK

THE PUBLIC profile of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla soared after a Homeland Security news conference incident.

GENARO MOLINA Los Angeles Times

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla announced Tuesday that he will not run for California governor next year, ending months of speculation about the possibility of the Democrat vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“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 outside his Senate office in Washington.

Padilla said instead he will focus on countering President Trump's agenda in Congress, where Democrats are currently in the minority in the House and Senate but hope to regain some political clout after the 2026 midterm elections.

“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,” he said.

Padilla said his decision was influenced by his belief that under Trump, “these are not normal times.”

“We deserve better than this,” he said.

Padilla’s decision to bow out of the 2026 governor's race will leave a prominent name out of a crowded contest with many contenders but not a clear favorite.