Alex Padilla: “I rise today profoundly humbled by the people of California for placing their trust in me to serve and represent them…”

“I rise today profoundly humbled by the people of California for placing their trust in me to serve and represent them for a full term in the U.S. Senate. It is a tremendous honor to return to this body, and I also recognize that it is also a tremendous responsibility. To the people of California, thank you, and please know that I will work hard every single day to uphold that trust. And to my colleagues who have helped me hit the ground running since my first day in the Senate 2 years ago, thank you, and that includes California's senior Senator, Dianne Feinstein, who has served the State of California for over three decades as a trailblazing public servant and a model for principled leadership, whom I have been honored to serve alongside. And I will always be thankful for my parents, Santos and Lupe Padilla, for all they did for my brother, my sister, and me growing up. And, of course, I could not be here without the love and support and often the patience and understanding of my wife Angela and our three boys, Roman, Alex, and Diego. Now, as the first Latino elected to represent California in our State's history, it is not lost on me what this moment means for millions of people back home. I understand that my family's story is a reflection of what so many other hardworking families have experienced. As I have shared many times before, my parents emigrated from Mexico. They came to the United States in search of a better life.…”