A socialist, a billionaire, a podiatrist: Padilla’s Senate challengers in California
WASHINGTON — What do a socialist, a billionaire and a podiatrist have in common?
They are all running to be a United States Senator for California in 2023.
Twenty-three candidates are on the California secretary of state’s certified list to run for a full, six-year term. Of those, eight are also running to fill the remainder of his current term and thus will appear on the ballot twice.
Sen. Alex Padilla, the Democratic incumbent, is running both to finish this term and serve the next one. He is strongly favored to win both.
California’s first Latino U.S. senator, Padilla was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the remainder of Vice President Kamala Harris’ unexpired term. He previously served as California’s secretary of state.
Under California law, the governor must call for an election during the regularly scheduled primary and general election to fill a vacated Senate seat. The governor appoints someone to serve in the interim.
Since joining the Senate in January 2021, Padilla, 49, has worked on COVID-19, wildfire, water and housing relief. He has also spearheaded bills on immigration reform, called to end the filibuster rule and pushed for voting rights legislation.
“I’m seeking a full term as Senator to continue delivering for Californians and to continue fighting for the critical issues at stake for our country — the fundamental right to choose, the right to vote, immigration reform, and the protection of our democracy,” he said in a statement sent to the Bee.
He serves with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 88, a Democrat who is not up for reelection until 2024. Sources for a recent San Francisco Chronicle article cast doubt on her fitness to remain in office. Feinstein rejected these allegations.
California’s primaries are June 7. The top two vote-getters in each race — for the partial term and the full six years — regardless of party move onto a special and a general election in November. The winner of the special election will assume office immediately. The winner of the general will take over in the Senate in 2023.
Democrats
Among Padilla’s Democratic challengers is Dan O’Dowd, a billionaire tech entrepreneur who is running for both the remainder of this term and the next one. His mission is to “make computers safe for humanity,” including by bolstering cybersecurity and taking Tesla’s full selfdriving car technology off the market until it is safer.
“We need to stop putting lives at risk with bad software, poorly designed software that’s going to fail,” he told the Bee.
Timothy J. Ursich Jr., a chiropractor and sports medicine specialist, will also be on the ballot for both terms.
Three Democrats are seeking only the full term: Akinyemi Agbede, a mathematician; Douglas Howard Pierce, a missing children’s advocate; and Obaidul Huq Pirjada, an attorney.
Pirjada told the Bee his priorities would be tamping down on inflation, enhancing the child tax credit and aiding seniors and veterans, among other groups. He said that, although his campaign might not gain the backing of top-dollar donors, his background helps him connect on a personal level with immigrants, communities of color and families.
“I speak for the community of the common people,” he said.
Republicans
Four Republicans are contending both for the remainder of this term and the next one.
Jon Elist is founder and chief executive officer of a medical device company. He has the most campaign cash on hand of any of Padilla’s challengers
Elist is focused on the economy, immigration reform, crime and parental choice in children's education. Most of his solutions involve bipartisan compromise, such as better pathways to citizenship for those seeking it.
“I’m a very independentminded candidate. I certainly lean conservative, but at the end of the day, I’m a pragmatist,” he told the Bee. “Even on a personal level, having a personal relationship with people across the aisle.”
James P. Bradley once worked in search and rescue for the Coast Guard and the health care business. In a poll of voters by iSideWith, a nonpartisan political discussion and polling platform, Bradley ranks second to Padilla with 14% of the vote. Padilla sits at 50%.
Bradley told the Bee that tax holidays to help small business owners and entrepreneurs were among his priorities for the economy, housing and education.
“The big one is the future of our children. There are many bills being passed into law eroding parental rights and their ability to do proper parenting,” Bradley said.
Mark P. Meuser is an attorney who focuses on election and constitutional law. He advocated against prolonged remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and was attorney in a lawsuit against California leaders over the policy.
Dr. Myron L. Hall is a podiatrist and former naval officer who opposes pandemic mandates, is pro-life and backs the Second Amendment. In response to a query for an interview, a representative for Hall simply responded, “The goal is to win.”
Six Republicans are running just for the full term.
Pastor Sarah Sun Liew, a businesswoman and nonprofit director, is running to support small business owners, students, those with temporary worker visas and health care leaders.
“We have to make them street smart,” she said of students. “There are not enough internships. They wouldn’t have all those college loans if we were to support those connections as entrepreneurs and students work together.”
Robert George Lucero Jr., a consultant, prioritizes preventing nuclear war, solving the homelessness crisis and boosting jobs.
Enrique Petris is a businessman and investor pushing for tighter border security and more military funding.
Carlos Guillermo Tapia is a business owner and real estate agent, according to the California SOS list.
Cordie Williams, a chiropractor and former marine, bases his conservative platform on medical freedom, parental rights and curbing government overreach, among other issues.
Chuck Smith, a veteran and former law enforcement officer, wants to tackle crime rates as part of an America-First platform that prioritizes “God, freedom and country.” He told the Bee that he wants to curb government spending and open up oil production to tamp down on inflation.
“I’m not a politician, never have been. The last time I was in office was when I was high school class president,” Smith said. “But you know what, our current administration — both parties — they’ve been involved in politics so much that they have forgotten what the people want.” Third-party candidates John Thompson Parker of the Socialist Unity Party is coordinator of the Harriet Tubman Center For Social Justice. He has a ballot designation of the Peace and Freedom Party and wants to end police brutality and white supremacy.
James “Henk” Conn, a member of the Green Party, is a social worker focused on the mentally ill and the homeless. He wants to bolster Social Security and disability insurance and raise the minimum wage to $25 to help vulnerable people afford housing. He hopes that his campaign sheds light on issues with the two-party system.
“We should have third party, and the Green Party is viable,” Conn said. “The duopoly can be broken. A conversation starts with two and fizzles out; with three, social scientists find that conversations starts to expand. We need a third party.”
Pamela Elizondo, another Green Party candidate, is a marijuana plastic entrepreneur and environmental healing consultant.
Four candidates are listed as “no party preference.”
Eleanor Garcia, a member of the Socialist Worker’s Party, was an aerospace factory worker who works with union leaders across the country. She is focused on workers’ rights and family planning. She described inflation as part of a “huge capitalist crisis.”
“But in this crisis, what the capitalist class tries to do is they try to hoist it on the back of the working class. So that’s why all these working conditions are getting worse. They try to squeeze more out of less workers,” she told the Bee.
Don J. Grundmann, a member of the Constitution Party, is a chiropractor. He wants to dismantle the IRS and the Federal Reserve System and return to using the United States Notes, a type of currency last issued in 1971. He also wants to ban gay marriage and immigration.