Your guide to the California U.S. Senate election: Alex Padilla vs. Mark P. Meuser

Padilla, a former California secretary of state, state senator and Los Angeles City Council president, became the state’s first Latino U.S. senator when Newsom appointed him to fill Harris’ seat in 2021.

Born in Pacoima to a Mexican-born housekeeper and short-order cook, Padilla, 49, graduated from MIT with a degree in engineering. Prop. 187, the successful 1994 ballot measure that denied taxpayer funding of many services to undocumented immigrants, prompted Padilla to leave engineering and enter public service.

Meuser, 48, was born in Huntington Beach and graduated from Oak Brook College of Law. He has repeatedly sued Newsom over COVID-19 policy and other matters. He was involved in the litigation that successfully stopped Democrats from removing then-President Trump’s name from the California ballot in 2020.

This year isn’t the first time the two men have competed. Meuser lost to Padilla by 29 points in the 2018 secretary of state election. He also unsuccessfully ran for state Senate in 2012.