Gov. Alex Padilla? – San Bernardino Sun

It looks like United States Senator Alex Padilla wants to run for governor in California when Gavin Newsom terms-out in 2026.

When asked directly if he was interested in running for governor, Padilla told Politico, “I love California. I’ve had the honor of serving in many different capacities…I hope to continue to serve … in some capacity for the foreseeable future.”

How do I know he wants to run for governor? Because, according to my politician-to-English app, what Padilla said means, “If I determine I can win, then, sure.”

Padilla’s term in the Senate doesn’t end until 2029, which means he won’t have to give up his day job if he decides to throw his hat into the ring.

All of this leads to the question:  Why in the world would someone with a safe seat in the U.S. Senate, complete with six-year terms and no term limits, ever give that up to run for governor?

I mean, let’s face it, Padilla’s job is about as easy as they come in politics. As a Democrat, representing a heavily Democratic state, you never have to worry about losing to a Republican, all you have to do is show up and vote the party line, and you will be celebrated by the news media, academics, and Hollywood.

Even if you’re a totally incompetent legislator, nobody will ever know because you’re not responsible for running anything except your mouth.

But let’s say you’re an executive and the budget is upside down, the homeless have taken over, and crime is out of control. Then everyone knows you’re a failure.

Just ask Karen Bass. Or, really, any Democrat big-city mayor in America.

The way I see it, if Padilla jumps into the race for governor, it indicates a couple of things.

First, the Democrat establishment has not warmed up to former Orange County Congresswoman Katie Porter.  I know, I know, hard to believe, huh?

According to all recent polls, Porter is the front-runner. If the election were held today, the most likely scenario is that Porter would advance to the November ballot, along with one of the two Republicans, former Fox News host Steve Hilton or Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. In that scenario, Porter would be the heavy favorite to win the November election.

So, if Democrats seem poised to hold the seat, that leads to the question — why are they still looking for candidates?

Because, the powers that be in the Democrat Party don’t want poor Katie. That’s why.

And it’s because – for starters, when Porter was trying to gin-up interest in her run for U.S. Senate, she wrote a political memoir called “I Swear: Politics is Messier than my Minivan,” where, according to the LA Times, “she calls out fellow Democrats — and names names — for out-of-touch behavior and writes about the small and large indignities of serving in Congress.”

Because if there are two things voters like in a candidate, it’s belly-aching and back-stabbing.

“I Swear” was a tell all in which prickly Katie threw her Democrat colleagues under the solar-powered bus.

Former Democratic Congressman Harley Rouda, who represented the district next door to Porter, said in this newspaper last year that Porter, “spent a grotesque and inordinate amount of her time in the House of Representatives keeping notes, keeping score, and lying about her peers.”

He went on to conclude that Porter is “in this for power and position, the ability to bully, and be in the spotlight. Your book revealed your true nature. Your minivan is a prop, and your life is of your choosing. As they say, you made your bed.”

Miss Congeniality she ain’t, folks!