[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 28, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4293-S4294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        REMEMBERING CLINT REILLY

 Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life 
of Clint Reilly, a legendary San Franciscan who passed away on July 19 
at the age of 79. Clint's influence on California politics and on the 
civic life of San Francisco helped shape our State for decades--and 
will continue to do so for generations to come.
  Born in Oakland and raised in San Leandro as the oldest of 10 
children in a working-class Catholic family, Clint learned early what 
hard work looked like, watching his father deliver milk for Berkeley 
Farms and ice cream for Dreyer's to support their family. But just as 
importantly, he learned from his parents that success carried with it a 
responsibility to serve others. ``We didn't really have any money,'' he 
said in one interview, ``but they practiced charity in their daily 
lives, in their generosity to us kids, but also in their generosity to 
other families, other big families, other members of the community.''
  Those values only grew stronger and more ingrained in Clint 
throughout the 9 years he spent studying and preparing to become a 
Catholic priest, earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. 
Patrick's Seminary along the way. But even though he ultimately found 
his calling in public life rather than the pulpit, Clint often said 
that those years never stopped guiding him, reinforcing the belief that 
politics could--and should--be a force for improving people's lives and 
creating a more just society.
  Clint went on to redefine political consulting in California, 
pioneering an integrated approach to campaigns that helped shape the 
profession for a generation while advising political leaders

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including the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, Speaker Emerita Nancy 
Pelosi, former Senator Barbara Boxer, former State Senator Quentin 
Kopp, former mayors Frank Jordan and Richard Riordan, and others; he 
never lost sight of those values. What distinguished Clint was the fact 
that he never viewed campaigns as simply winning elections, but 
electing principled leaders who would deliver meaningful results for 
families and communities.
  His commitment to San Francisco extended far beyond politics. As a 
businessman, he invested not only in San Francisco's skyline through 
commercial real estate, but also in its civic conversation by 
championing local journalism through publications, including the San 
Francisco Examiner. He understood that strong communities depend on 
strong civic institutions, and he remained deeply committed to 
preserving and strengthening San Francisco's.
  But perhaps nowhere was Clint's character more evident than in his 
philanthropy. Together with his beloved wife Janet, he dedicated 
extraordinary time, talent, and generosity to expanding opportunities 
for others. Through the Bay Scholars initiative he created, he helped 
open the doors of college-preparatory education to hundreds of students 
from low-income families. Through Clinic by the Bay and countless other 
charitable efforts, Clint and Janet demonstrated that giving back means 
more than writing a check; it means investing your time, your talents, 
and our heart in your community and helping others build brighter 
futures.
  Throughout his life--as a seminarian, political strategist, 
businessman, publisher, and philanthropist--Clint never lost sight of 
the values that first shaped him: faith, service, and a belief that 
each of us has a responsibility to leave our communities stronger than 
we found them. San Francisco is a better city because he lived those 
values every day.
  Angela's and my thoughts are with Janet, their daughters Jill and 
Ava, and everyone whose lives were touched by Clint's generosity, 
leadership, and friendship. May they find comfort in knowing that his 
extraordinary legacy will live on in the institutions he strengthened, 
the people he mentored, the students whose futures he transformed, and 
the city he loved so deeply.

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