| Alex Padilla | |
|---|---|
| Member of the California Senate from the 20th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 4, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Alarcón |
| Los Angeles City Councillor from the 7th District | |
| In office July 1, 1999 – December 4, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Alarcón |
| Succeeded by | Richard Alarcón |
| President of the Los Angeles City Council |
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| In office July 4, 2001 – January 1, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Ruth Galanter |
| Succeeded by | Eric Garcetti |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 22, 1973 Panorama City, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Pacoima, California |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S.) |
| Occupation | Educational Counselor Engineer |
| Website | Senator Alex Padilla |
Alejandro "Alex" Padilla (born March 22, 1973) is a California State Senator. He was elected as the state senator for California's 20th State Senate district in November 2006 and was inaugurated in early December. Prior to serving in the Senate he served 7½ years on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 7th District. First elected in 1999, he was elected council president in July 2001 and remained president through December 31, 2005.
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Padilla is one of three children of Santos and Lupe Padilla, both of whom emigrated from Mexico before meeting and marrying in Los Angeles.[1]
Padilla grew up in the community of Pacoima in Los Angeles and is a graduate of San Fernando High School in the northeast San Fernando Valley.[2] He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994.[3] After graduation, he moved back to Pacoima and briefly worked as an engineer for Hughes Aircraft, where he wrote software for satellite systems.[4][5][6]
He has served as president of the League of California Cities and was both its youngest-ever president and the first Latino to lead the league. He currently serves as chair of the Los Angeles Leadership Council for the American Diabetes Association. Padilla previously was a staff member to United States Senator Dianne Feinstein and California State Assembly member Tony Cardenas.
Padilla was named one of America's "100 Most Influential Hispanics" by Hispanic Business magazine.
Padilla was elected to the Los Angeles City Council on June 8, 1999, at the age of 26.[7] Two years later he was elected council president.[8] As president he served as acting mayor of Los Angeles during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the days immediately following when mayor James Hahn was stranded in Washington, D.C.[9]
On December 4, 2006 Alex Padilla was sworn in as a member of the California State Senate representing the 20th District. His first two years, Padilla served on the Senate Rules Committee which confirms gubernatorial appointments and refers all bills in the Senate. In December 2008, Senator Padilla was named Chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee.
In addition to chairing the Energy Committee, Senator Padilla serves on the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee; the Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Revenues and the Economy; the Education Committee; the Banking, Finance and Insurance Committee; the Natural Resources and Water Committee; the Public Employment and Retirement Committee; the Revenue and Taxation Committee; and the Government Organization Committee. He also Chairs the Select Committee on Obesity & Diabetes and the Select Committee on College and University Admissions and Outreach.
On Wednesday July 15, 2009, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that he had chosen Padilla as the chairman for his 2010 California gubernatorial campaign.[10]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Alarcón |
Los Angeles City Councilman 7th District 2000–2006 |
Succeeded by Richard Alarcón |
| California State Senator 20th District 2006 – present |
Incumbent | |
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