California State Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Los Angeles) listens to arguments during a session of the California State Senate February 18, 2009 in Sacramento, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
State Senator Alex Padilla is campaigning to be California’s next Secretary of State, the favorite since winning the blanket primary with over 30 percent of the vote. The former Los Angeles City Council member and almost termed-out state senator from California’s 20th Senate district has been in elected office since 1999, and he has had a big legislative impact on both the city of LA and the state of California. As city council president, he served as Acting Mayor after the 9/11 attacks, and 80 of his bills in the state senate have been signed by Governors Schwarzenegger and Brown.
During his last election, he won as a Democrat by 70 percent in a district with 54 percent Democratic registration. Padilla is facing significant competition from his moderate Republican opponent, Pete Peterson, who has racked up endorsements from newspapers across the state, including the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. Still, Padilla holds a nearly 10-1 fundraising lead over his competitor, making it highly unlikely that Peterson will be able to flood the airwaves with last minute advertising.
Does Padilla’s experience qualify him to be an effective Secretary of State? Will Padilla’s supporters come out again to elect him? Is this election Padilla’s to lose?
Guest:
Alex Padilla, Democratic candidate for California Secretary of State; currently California State Senator (D-Pacoima); former Los Angeles City Councilmember