Last updated
Turlock turns up in Alex Padilla’s federal spending paperwork in a place you might not expect: water meters. Another request concerns the irrigation district’s modernization plans. Those are quieter parts of a senator’s job than the immigration arguments that put him on national television, but they matter here. Padilla represents every Turlock resident in the U.S. Senate, alongside Adam Schiff.
- Office: U.S. senator for California; Democrat.
- Service: Joined the Senate in January 2021; elected in November 2022.
- Next regular election: 2028. His current term ends January 3, 2029; he is not on California’s regular November 2026 Senate ballot.
- Constituent office: Fresno, (559) 497-5109.
California’s senators represent the whole state. Your street address determines your House district, but it does not change which senators you can contact. The Senate’s California roster and official term list identify Padilla’s seat and term.
From Pacoima to the Senate
Padilla grew up in Pacoima in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley. His parents came from Mexico; his father cooked in diners and his mother cleaned houses. He attended San Fernando High School and earned a mechanical-engineering degree at MIT. Opposition to Proposition 187, California’s 1994 measure targeting public services for undocumented immigrants, drew him toward politics. His official biography traces that change of direction.
He won a Los Angeles City Council seat in 1999 at 26 and became council president two years later. He served as acting mayor during the aftermath of September 11. The California Senate followed in 2006, then the secretary of state’s office after the 2014 election. His state work included community-college transfer rules, restaurant-menu nutrition information and earthquake early warning. Appointed to the U.S. Senate after Kamala Harris became vice president, he became California’s first Latino senator.
An Associated Press profile records a less public memory from Republican strategist Mike Madrid: a Sacramento negotiation with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lasted ten days. Padilla ran out of clothes and washed socks in a sink. Madrid recalled that the negotiators reached a compromise on funding for local governments.
The job reaches beyond the Senate floor
The current committee roster places Padilla on Energy and Natural Resources, Environment and Public Works, Judiciary, Budget, and Rules and Administration. He is the senior Democrat on Rules and on Judiciary’s Border Security and Immigration subcommittee. Those assignments bring him into decisions about water infrastructure, federal judges and election administration.
The April 2025 visit pictured above concerned debris removal after the Pacific Palisades fires. Federal disaster response is part of the same statewide responsibility that brings a senator’s staff into a delayed benefits claim or a city’s infrastructure request. The Senate’s powers also include reviewing presidential appointments and investigating how the executive branch carries out the law.
Immigration: a defining issue and a public confrontation
Padilla argues that stronger border enforcement should come with a way for long-settled immigrants to legalize their status. That 2024 AP profile described his resistance to the Senate border compromise; Republican opponent Mark Meuser argued California Democrats were moving too far left.
On June 12, 2025, federal officers removed Padilla from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Los Angeles news conference, forced him to the ground and handcuffed him. Padilla said he was trying to ask about immigration enforcement. DHS said he ignored commands and officers believed he posed a threat. Roll Call’s reporting notes that video showed him identifying himself as a senator before he was removed. Noem met with him afterward.
A few votes worth looking up
His votes on final passage include:
- Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, August 10, 2021: Padilla voted yes. The bill passed 69–30, with support from both parties.
- Inflation Reduction Act, August 7, 2022: Padilla voted yes. The Senate split 50–50, and Vice President Harris broke the tie.
- Laken Riley Act, January 20, 2025: Padilla voted no. The immigration-enforcement bill passed 64–35; Schiff also opposed it.
- H.R. 1 reconciliation bill, July 1, 2025: Padilla voted no. The measure known as the One Big Beautiful Bill passed after Vice President Vance broke a 50–50 tie.
The infrastructure vote shows him joining a broad coalition; the later votes show areas of disagreement with the Republican majority. The linked roll calls let you compare his position with the other senator from California and with senators elsewhere.
Water meters, canals and the Turlock connection
Padilla’s June 2025 spending disclosure requested $2 million for Turlock water-metering upgrades. His fiscal-year 2027 agriculture requests include $1 million for a watershed management plan tied to Turlock Irrigation District’s irrigation modernization, plus $1.76 million for Hughson fire-apparatus bays. The tables express amounts in thousands of dollars. These entries document requests; they do not establish that the projects received that money.
He also proposed broader changes through the MORE WATER and GROW SMART bills in 2026. MORE WATER addresses recycling, conveyance repairs and habitat work; GROW SMART concerns voluntary projects combining agricultural water savings with partnerships among water users. MORE WATER was placed on the Senate’s legislative calendar in September 2026 after being reported from committee. That step advances a bill; it does not make it law.
For the local background, our Turlock Irrigation District history and Don Pedro Dam guide explain the canals, reservoirs and power system. A senator can advocate for federal legislation and funding. TID’s elected board and staff still make the district’s own operating decisions.
When his office can help you
If a federal agency has stopped answering, Padilla’s agency-assistance service is a practical place to start. His casework form covers matters such as Social Security, Medicare, passports, federal student loans and veterans’ claims. You can begin online or contact a California office. A privacy release allows staff to inquire about your case.
- Fresno office: 2500 Tulare Street, Suite 5290, Fresno, CA 93721.
- Phone: (559) 497-5109. Call before making the trip; many matters can begin by phone or online.
- Office details: Padilla’s official office directory.
For your first contact, have the agency name, case or claim number, dates of earlier attempts to resolve the problem and any approaching deadline ready. Describe what happened and what response you need. Use the official form for the personal information it requests. A short chronology is easier for a caseworker to follow than a long account with the dates buried inside it.
His casework FAQ sets out the limits: staff can ask about a pending case or seek an explanation for a denial, but cannot force an agency to rule in your favor, give legal advice or intervene in court proceedings. State and county matters go to the corresponding state or local officials. If an appeal deadline is approaching, contact the agency about the appeal as well as seeking assistance.
To express an opinion on a bill, use the senator’s official contact page and identify the bill or issue. For the other people who represent Turlock, return to Local Representatives.
