Alejandro Padilla

Democrat senior Senator of California

Senator
California
January 20, 2021 - December 21, 2022
Senator
California
December 22, 2022 - January 3, 2023
Senator
California
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2029

202-224-3553

@SenAlexPadilla

padilla.senate.gov

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Congresses Served

Senate Terms

March 22, 1973 (51 years old)

Birthday

Served as the senior United States senator from California since 2021
Previously served as the 30th secretary of state of California from 2015 to 2021
Has been a member of the California State Senate and the Los Angeles City Council
Appointed to the U.S. Senate by Governor Gavin Newsom to fill the vacancy created by Kamala Harris’s election as Vice President
Won a special election and a full Senate term in November 2022
Became California’s senior senator in September 2023
Parents immigrated from Mexico; grew up in Pacoima, Los Angeles
Holds a degree in mechanical engineering from MIT
Briefly worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft before entering politics
Involved in politics in response to California Proposition 187
First Latino and the youngest person elected president of the Los Angeles City Council
Promoted Proposition 67, a ban on plastic bags, which passed in 2016
Refused to provide voter data to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in 2017
Involved in a controversy over unofficial ballot boxes in 2020
Announced a $35 million no-bid contract for a voter education ad campaign, which was blocked due to lack of authority to use federal money
Supports ending the Senate filibuster
Advocates for abortion rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, climate action, and immigrants’ rights
Introduced legislation for more legal protections for public lands in California and to help coastal communities adapt to sea level rise
Married with three sons, lives in Porter Ranch, Los Angeles
Has a 100% voting alignment with President Joe Biden’s positions as of the end of 2023