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Early life
He often said his upbringing there had a major influence on his life.
Engineer
Padilla was trained as an engineer at MIT and then returned home to write software for satellites at Hughes Aircraft. But politics beckoned at an early age.
City Council
At 22, he ran the successful Assembly campaign of Tony Cardenas, then a little-known owner of a real estate agency. Cardenas is now a congressman representing the San Fernando Valley. Padilla later managed the bare-knuckled 1998 campaign that propelled Richard Alarcon into a state Senate seat by a mere 29 votes.
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In 1999, Padilla jumped into the race for Alarcon’s former council seat. He was barely known outside political circles, but he put together a potent cadre of backers, including labor unions and then-L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan. Padilla won by a landslide.
Since some local jurisdictions, both large and small, have changed from at-large to district elections, often as a result of a legal challenge, there has been a steep price to pay. The loss of several outstanding officials who still had much to offer. Hereâs a recent list: Shelly Masur, Redwood City councilwoman, former elementary school board member, candidate for the State Senate. Redwood Cityâs new method of electing its council meant Masur ended up in the same new district as fellow councilwoman, Giselle Hale, who still has several years before her term is up unlike Masur whose term was up this year. In Menlo Park, Kirsten Keith, a major player in county affairs, lost her seat when the city changed to district elections. On the San Mateo County Community College Board of Trustees, the late Tom Mohr lost his seat to Richard Holober when the two were placed in the same district. Two years later, Dave Mandelkern, who brought a business perspective to the board, lost to col