U.S. Senator Alex Padilla is considering entering California’s 2026 governor’s race and has “not ruled out” a bid, according to a Politico report confirmed by a person familiar with his thinking. Padilla’s office declined to comment on campaign plans, saying the Democrat remains focused on policy work in Washington. Padilla’s deliberations come as Governor Gavin Newsom faces term limits in January 2027 and the contest to succeed him remains fluid. A Berkeley IGS survey released last week found 38 percent of voters undecided; among declared or potential contenders, former Representative Katie Porter led 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. Vice President Kamala Harris announced in July that she would not run, leaving Democrats without a clear front-runner. The nascent governor’s race has been overshadowed by Newsom’s Proposition 50, a November special-election measure that would redraw California’s congressional map to counter mid-decade gerrymandering by Republican-led states. Padilla has campaigned for the initiative, which Democrats say could yield five additional U.S. House seats for their party. A former California secretary of state, Padilla was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2021 and won a full term the following year. He drew national attention in June after being briefly handcuffed while pressing Homeland Security officials on immigration enforcement, an incident that allies say underscored his willingness to challenge the Trump administration and may factor into his calculus about seeking the governorship.