SF Chronicle opinion piece: How Katie Porter's viral meltdown is resetting the California governor's race

[GJGCA]

6. More concerning Padilla--CalMatters.org

However, Porter, who lost a U.S. Senate bid last year, has just 17% in the latest polling, with rivals mired in single-digits. Meanwhile, political oddsmakers wait for two other potentials, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and Los Angeles businessman Rick Caruso, to declare their intentions.

...

It might persuade Padilla, who acknowledges that he is weighing a bid for governor, that it’s a campaign he could win. Ditto for Caruso if he also believes that Porter’s self-inflicted wounds are fatal, as they may be.

https://calmatters.org/commentary/2025/10/katie-porter-california-governor-bid/

From https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/magazine/alex-padilla-interview.html

[Quoting Padilla:] I see how some people could find the position of governor of California as attractive in advancing a lot of those same issues.

I’m just trying to think through: Where can I be most impactful? Not just short-term, but midterm and long-term. Is it from here? Is it from there? Or do I have a role to play in shifting how Democrats look at some of the issues, including but not limited to immigration, or look to some of the diversity that’s out there, including but not limited to the Latino community, as a way of continuing to build strong political momentum for a better future for our country?