U.S. Senator Alex Padilla said he is keeping his options open for California’s 2026 governor’s race, declining to rule out a bid during a PoliticoLive interview at the California Agenda Summit on Wednesday. “I hope to continue to serve … in some capacity for the foreseeable future,” the Democrat said when pressed on his intentions. A spokesperson later stressed that Padilla’s immediate focus remains on passing Proposition 50, Governor Gavin Newsom’s voter-approved mid-decade redistricting measure that appears on the November ballot. Padilla, 52, was appointed to the Senate in 2021 and won a full term the following year, giving him a statewide network and fundraising base that analysts say would make him an instant front-runner should he jump into the governor’s race. He grabbed national attention in June when he was briefly handcuffed while pressing Homeland Security officials on immigration enforcement, an episode supporters say underscored his willingness to confront the Biden administration. The field to succeed Newsom, who is barred from seeking a third term, remains fluid after former Vice President Kamala Harris and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis both opted out. A Berkeley IGS poll released last week found 38 percent of voters still undecided; former Representative Katie Porter leads declared candidates with 17 percent support, followed by Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 10 percent and former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra at 9 percent. Political consultants say the absence of a dominant contender leaves an opening for a higher-profile entrant such as Padilla.