Alex Padilla
Alex Padilla (born March 22, 1973) is an American politician and engineer serving as the junior United States senator from California since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Padilla served as the 32nd secretary of state of California from 2015 to 2021.[1]
Padilla served more than seven years on the Los Angeles City Council, representing the 7th district. First elected in 1999, he was President of the Los Angeles City Council from 2001 to 2006. He then served in the California State Senate for the 20th district from 2006 to 2014.
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Padilla to the Senate after Harris was elected Vice President of the United States; Harris, as President of the Senate, swore Padilla in on January 20, 2021.
Early life and education
Padilla is one of three children of Santos Padilla and Lupe Padilla, both of whom emigrated from Mexico, specifically Jalisco and Chihuahua, before meeting and marrying in Los Angeles, where he was born. He grew up in Pacoima, Los Angeles, and graduated from San Fernando High School in the northeast San Fernando Valley. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1994. He graduated from the Coro Fellows Southern California Program in 1995.
Early career
After graduation, Padilla moved back to Pacoima and briefly worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft, where he wrote software for satellite systems.
Padilla is a former member of the governing board of MIT and president of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), which has a membership of more than 6,000 Latino U.S. officials. He serves as chair of the Los Angeles Leadership Council for the American Diabetes Association, elected in July 2005.
Padilla began in politics as a member of the Democratic Party in 1995, in substantial part in response to California Proposition 187, which excluded illegal immigrants from all non-emergency public services, including public education, but which he felt was motivated by a broader nativism that demonized legal and illegal immigrants alike. His first professional role was as a personal assistant to Senator Dianne Feinstein. He then served as a campaign manager for Assemblyman Tony Cardenas in 1996, Assemblyman Gilbert Cedillo in 1997, and State Senator Richard Alarcon in 1998, all Democrats. All won their respective elections
Radical staffers
- Zahra Harjee is a Bay Area Field Representative, Senator Alex Padilla, Apr 2021 – Present.
- Ellie Caple Deputy Campaign Manager & Political Director at Alex Padilla for Senate
- Marisa McCarthy Deputy Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Alex Padilla
Voting Rights Forum
Friday, May 20 @ 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 2016: Voting Rights Forum in Los Angeles. CAPAC Chair Judy Chu, along with CHC Chair Linda Sanchez, and Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard and Karen Bass will be hosting a voting rights forum in Los Angeles on May 20th from 10 am - 12 pm, at the East Los Angeles College. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Stewart Kwoh from Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA will also be participating in the event.[1]
Sandra Perez, National Director of Civic Engagement – NALEO Educational Fund; Sean Dugar, Western Regional Field Director for the NAACP Western Region I; Scott Svonkin, president of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees also participated.
"Latinos Need Barack Obama"
Rep. Linda Sanchez posted an article on the Huffington Post blog September 17, 2012, co-signed by several leftist California activists, and legislators, supporting Barack Obama for president;
- We support comprehensive immigration reform and we believe President Obama is on the right track. He favors an immigration policy that rewards hard work and responsibility and lifts the shadow of deportation from young people who were brought here as children, through no fault of their own, and grew up as Americans. And given congressional inaction, the President and the DHS implemented a stop-gap measure that temporarily lifts the shadow of deportation from DREAMers.
- The economic recovery is not yet complete, but we recognize President Obama's work to help our communities. From the Latina back in school thanks to expanded Pell Grants to the family that can now afford health care for their child with a preexisting condition, all Latinos need a leader that will stand by his word and respect their pursuit of the American Dream.
- Sadly when Mitt Romney speaks to Latinos today he will not answer our Grito de Verdad y Liderazgo because he stands on the wrong side of every Latino voter priority. Latinos know that what we need is a President who will lead our community with respect and value our contributions and that the contrast between Romney's campaign rhetoric and four years of action from this administration is clear: the man we need to lead us is Barack Obama.
- Congresswoman Linda Sanchez
- Labor leader Maria Elena Durazo
- LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina
- LA City Councilman Ed Reyes
- California State Senator Edward Hernandez
- California State Senator Alex Padilla
- California Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes
- California Assemblyman John Perez
- California Assemblyman Gil Cedillo
- California Assemblyman Kevin De Leon
- LA City Councilman Eric Garcetti
- LA City Councilman Jose Huizar
- LA City Councilman Tony Cardenas
Los Angeles Women's march
The Women’s March on Washington took place in January 2017, with sister marches also being held all over the country in support of the march. Thousands of people" are gathering and participating in the Los Angeles march, with countless celebrities joining in as well". One of the organizers was Emiliana Guereca'
Speakers
- Congresswoman Nanette Barragan
- Secretary Alex Padilla
- Yolie Flores (LAUSD – Congressional Candidate)
- Jerilyn Stapleton (California NOW)
- Kathy Spillar (Feminist Majority)
- Araceli Campos, Executive Director, Miguel Contreras Foundation
- Maria Brenes, InnerCity Struggle, President
- California Assemblymember Christina Garcia
- California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon
- Paula Kahn (CODE PINK)
- Shane Goldsmith, Liberty Hill Foundation, President
- Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu
- Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz
- Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin
- Abbe Land (Former Head of the Trevor Project, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles)
- Laura Jimenez (California Latinas for Reproductive Justice)
- Hillary Selvin (National Council of Jewish Women Los Angeles)
- Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
- Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis
- Los Angeles City Councilmember Nury Martinez
- City of Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin
- City Attorney Feuer
- Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn
- Jan Robinson Flint (Black Women for Wellness)
- West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister
- Maria Louisa Roman (Transgender activist)
- West Hollywood City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath
- Soraya Deen (Muslim community)
- Roxana Tynan, President, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
- California Senator Holly Mitchell
- California Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson
- Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon
- Maria Elena Durazo (General Vice-president for UNITE HERE)
- Sue Dunlap (Planned Parenthood)
- Congresswoman Judy Chu
- Judy Baca[2]
Democracy Alliance, Fall 2017
Clinton supporter
In 2016 Hillary Clinton could count on endorsements from virtually all of the state's prominent Hispanic politicians, including former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Secretary of State Alex Padilla and U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra, who heads the House Democratic Caucus. This past week, she added Dolores Huerta, a co-founder of United Farm Workers, to her list of Hispanic advisers.
Longtime labor leader Eliseo Medina, another newly enlisted Clinton adviser, told reporters that the campaign was working to boost Hispanic turnout.
"We need to do better, especially among our young people," Medina said.[3]
Labor support
1999: In the city elections, Labor throws its weight behind Alex Padilla, the now city council president, for a San Fernando Valley seat.[4]
Maria Elena Durazo's labor union helped Padilla win his first race.[5]