Former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter announced Tuesday morning that she is running for governor and could change the dynamics of the already crowded renowned Democratic field that seeks to replace Gavin Newsom next year because of her national popularity and fundraising.
“What California needs now is some hope and a lot of courage. Fresh blood and new ideas. Porter said in a video announcing her campaign: “There are leaders who fight for rights.” “This is why I ran for governor. ”
Porter highlighted a theme expected to dominate next year’s gubernatorial race, and Porter expressed his desire to protect California from President Trump’s policies, including his insistence on the threat of disaster relief, attacking the rights of state residents, and deceiving “working families that benefit themselves and his relatives.”
The looming question of California’s 2026 governor’s race is whether former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris jumps in the game. Her decision is expected to end by the summer. Given Harris’ name recognition and fundraising ability, she may Provoking some Democrats to quit the game, this Porter mentioned At the December election meeting of the University of California, Irving.
“If Vice President Harris chooses to run, I’m sure it will have a near-site impact on the Democratic Party on the one hand,” Porter said.
Other announced candidates This includes Democratic Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state controller Betty Yee, state school director Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins and businessman Stephen Cloobeck, and Republican Rischard Bianco.
Porter, 51, is an Iowa native who attended law school at Harvard, where she is taught in history now. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Warren Hot Warren supporters In the 2020 presidential election.
After the Great Depression, Porter was appointed by then-California Attorney General Harris to oversee the $25 billion mortgage settlement of the country’s highest bank. Porter was elected to Congress in 2018 at his long-time Republican stronghold in Orange County, with the most Grand Congressional Fundraising Event.
When she was in a Congressional hearing, her national popularity grew Use her whiteboard Make profound policies understandable. Videos of the performances spread, cheering by Democrats and dissatisfied voters.
With her sometimes cruel behavior, Porter alienated famous Democrats along the way, especially former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-san Francisco) She clashed with the Commission’s mission in 2021, Later, Porter supported banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
But she was also embraced by voters who thought she was approachable, driving around the forested green Toyota Sienna in her congressional district with a personalized license plate that reads “OVRSITE” and frankly states The juggling struggle Her career was a single mother of three children. As she explained in an interview with Samantha Bee on TBS, she has little patience for political kindness.
She told Bee in 2020: “If you have Bs everywhere, I’ll be there for you. I just don’t have time. I’m a single mom. Dinner burns. I’m late. I have 4,000 emails. My hair is curly. I haven’t shaved my legs in a week.”
Porter served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives but did not seek reelection in 2024 because she chose to run for the U.S. Senate seat at the then-racing venue. Dianne Feinstein.
She announced her campaign before Feinstein, announcing that she would not seek reelection. Democratic leaders lined up behind Rep at the time. Burbank’s Adam Schiff ended up winning the Senate seat. Porter finished a distant third in the March primary, behind Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey.
After the failure, she believed that race was “manipulated”, further angering Democrats. Porter’s language angered Democrats as it responds to Trump’s false claims about why he lost the 2020 election. She later said she Unfortunately, what she chose.
During Porter’s 2022 congressional reelection campaign, Republican rivals have improved her Irvine home through a program built to build affordable housing for state leaders to teach recruits. ((She complies with state and university rules)
After losing this 2024 Senate CompetitionPorter returned to teach at the law school at the University of California, Irvine. But her vocal political activism strongly suggests she will run for office again, especially her “Truth of Power” Political Action Committee, which raised more than $1 million during the two-year period ending on December 31. Last week, she held the Zoom Town Hall with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach).
“Katie has always been a force in Congress, she will be a force in the future, and everything she does for us in our state and our country, everything she will do for us. I want to take the same energy and passion in oversight and be truly fearless.”
