Steve Padilla

Stephen C. Padilla (born 1967) is an American politician, public policy, advocacy and communications consultant serving in the California State Senate since 2022.

Between 1989 and 1990, he was appointed by the City Council to various city boards and commissions, including the Board of Ethics, and Safety Commission.

Padilla worked as a substitute teacher for the Sweetwater Union High School District.

From 1994 to 2002, he served two terms on the city council of Chula Vista, California.

Padilla was elected to the Chula Vista City Council in 1994.

He was the first person of Latino descent elected to that office in the city's history, despite the city's diverse population.

Padilla won re-election in 1998.

Padilla contributed to several changes in city law, including the prohibition of machine sales of tobacco in the city, and improvements to the health and safety code oversight in mobile home parks.

He was also leading figure in city finance reforms, including a move to planning the city's budget on two-year cycles.

Padilla called for San Diego Unified Port District Board member David Malcolm to resign over his consulting contract with Duke Energy.

During part of his tenure, Padilla held the post of Deputy Mayor.

He served as Mayor of Chula Vista (Pop. 240,000) from 2002 to 2006 and as a member of the California Coastal Commission from 2005 to 2007, and again since 2017.

Padilla was elected the 38th Mayor of Chula Vista on November 5, 2002, defeating fellow City Council member Mary Salas, a colleague and political ally.

The race between the two democrats was hotly contested.

The election was an open-race, as incumbent Shirley Horton was term-limited.

Padilla could not have sought another term on the city council in 2002, due to a prohibition on serving more than two terms consecutively.

With both Padilla and Salas running, the election marked the first-time that two incumbent Chula Vista City Council members had run for mayor.

The election was also historic in that all three candidates running (Salas, Padilla, and Petra Barajas) were Hispanic, guaranteeing that the city would elect its first Hispanic mayor.

One of Padilla's pledged priorities was to promote plans to manage growth in the city's eastern segment and to regenerate its older neighborhoods.

To address the increased traffic congestion stemming from the city rapid growth, Padilla proposed ensuring that developers pay for roads and public services prior to receiving approval for their developments.

Padilla proposed creating a unified school district within city limits.

Padilla was endorsed by two of other four other members of the city council, as well as the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce and the Chula Vista Police Officers Association.

In addition to two incumbent city council members, he also received the endorsement of a council member-elect who had won election in the first-round of the city's elections.

With much political overlap between Salas and Padilla, the race was seen as being debated on which candidate had the superior experience to lead the city.

He served as a member of the Board of Port Commissioners of the Unified Port of San Diego, as Board Secretary and Vice Chairman-Elect from 2009 to 2011.

In 2016, he was again elected to the Chula Vista City Council.

He is also noted for being one of the state's increasing number of openly gay political leaders.

The eldest of four children, Steve Padilla was born at the U.S. Naval Hospital, San Diego.

Padilla's father was Mexican and his mother was Portuguese.

Shortly after Padilla was born, his father joined the United States Marine Corps, and was deployed to serve in the Vietnam War.

Shortly after Padilla's father returned home from this tour of duty, he was killed in an automobile accident.

Padilla's mother thereafter purchased a home in Chula Vista to raise her family in.

Padilla's mother would remarry, giving Padilla and his siblings a stepfather.

Raised in Chula Vista since age 5, Padilla showed an interest in community at an early age, becoming active in organizations throughout his early life, which would later lead him to seek public office.

He as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout, and later became involved with the Chula Vista Explorer Scouts.

Padilla's first career venture was into law enforcement.

After graduating from Bonita Vista High School, he became the youngest cadet accepted into the Southwestern Police Academy.

A police officer for thirteen years, he served as a Detective, specializing in domestic violence and child abuse before entering the public arena.

He served for a period as the president of the Chula Vita Police Officers Association.

While a police officer, Padilla returned to school, and received his bachelor's degree in public administration.