Katie Porter | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2019 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Mimi Walters |
| Succeeded by | Dave Min |
| Constituency |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Katherine Moore Porter (1974-01-03)January 3, 1974 (age 52) Fort Dodge, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Yale University (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Katherine Moore Porter (born January 3, 1974) is an American politician and lawyer who served as aU.S. representative fromCalifornia from 2019 to 2025. She is a member of theDemocratic Party.
Porter graduated fromYale University andHarvard Law School and has taught law at several universities, including theUniversity of California, Irvine, theWilliam S. Boyd School of Law, and theUniversity of Iowa. In 2018, she was elected to Congress as part of a Democratic wave in Orange County,flipping the 45th district. In 2022, after redistricting, she was reelected in the 47th congressional district.[1] In the House, she was deputy chair of theCongressional Progressive Caucus, and received media attention for her questioning during congressional hearings.[2]
In 2023, Porter announced hercandidacy for the U.S. Senate, forgoing reelection to theHouse of Representatives. She was defeated after failing to advance from thenonpartisan primary won byAdam Schiff andSteve Garvey. She is a candidate forgovernor of California in the2026 election.
Porter was born on January 3, 1974, inFort Dodge, Iowa. She grew up on a farm in southern Iowa.[3][4] Her father, Dan Porter, was a farmer and banker.[5] Her mother, Liz, was a founder ofFons & Porter's Love of Quilting.
After graduating fromPhillips Academy,[6][7] Porter attendedYale University, where she majored inAmerican studies, graduating in 1996.[8] Her undergraduate thesis was titledThe Effects of Corporate Farming on Rural Community.[9] She was a member ofCalhoun College (now Grace Hopper College) at Yale.[10] Porter also interned forChuck Grassley during this time.[11]
Porter later attendedHarvard Law School, where she was the notes editor for theHarvard Women's Law Journal and a member of theBoard of Student Advisers.[12][13] She studied under bankruptcy law professor and future U.S. senatorElizabeth Warren, and graduatedmagna cum laude with herJuris Doctor in 2001.[5]
Porter was alaw clerk for JudgeRichard S. Arnold of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit inLittle Rock, Arkansas.[12] She practiced with the law firm ofStoel Rives LLP inPortland, Oregon,[12] and was the project director for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges' Business Bankruptcy Project.[14][15][16]
Porter was an associate professor of law at theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Law.[12] In 2005, she joined the faculty of theUniversity of Iowa College of Law as an associate professor,[12] becoming a full professor there in 2011.[17] Also in 2011, she became a tenured professor at theUniversity of California, Irvine School of Law.[18][8][19]
In 2008, Porter testified before the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit alongside then-Harvard Law ProfessorElizabeth Warren on a proposedCredit Cardholders' Bill of Rights, which was later signed into law.[20][21]
In March 2012,California attorney generalKamala Harris appointed Porter to be the state's independent monitor of banks in a nationwide $25 billion mortgage settlement.[22] As monitor, she oversaw the banks' implementation of $9.5 billion in settlement reforms for Californians.[23] In 2015, Porter consulted forOcwen.[24] Porter's 2016 textbookModern Consumer Law addresses consumer laws in light ofDodd–Frank and theConsumer Financial Protection Bureau.[25]
Porter served as one of three co-chairs ofElizabeth Warren's2020 presidential campaign.[26]
In April 2017, Porter announced her candidacy for Congress inCalifornia's 45th congressional district against two-term Republican incumbentMimi Walters.[27] In May 2018, Politico reported that Democrats were confident they would oust Walters, given that Hillary Clinton carried the45th District in 2016, with Porter stating that "Orange County families are very concerned about what Donald Trump is doing" and "Mimi Walters votes with Trump over and over and over again."[28] Porter finished second in a June 2018 primary and advanced to the general election.[29][30]
Porter faced off against Walters in the general election on November 6, 2018. Walters led at the end of election night, but in the following days, as more ballots were tabulated, Porter gained votes and eventually overtook Walters. Walters alleged unsubstantiated voter fraud by Democrats, claiming they sought to "steal" her seat.[31][32][33]
On November 15, 2018, theAssociated Press called the race for Porter, marking the first Democratic victory in the district since its 1953 creation.[34][35] Following her win, Porter pledged to reform campaign finance laws and highlighted her refusal of corporate PAC donations in her campaign.[36] Porter's win contributed to a wave for Democrats inOrange County that saw them flip four seats centered in the county, resulting in Democratic control of all seven seats in the historically Republican county.[37][38][39]
Porter ran for reelection to a second term. She advanced from the top-two primary in first place and faced off against the second-place finisher, RepublicanMission Viejo mayor Greg Raths, in the general election. Porter won with 53.5% of the vote to Raths's 46.5%.[40][41]
Porter was reelected inCalifornia's 47th congressional district,[42] defeating Republican nomineeScott Baugh with 51.6% of the vote to Baugh's 48.4%.[43]
On January 10, 2023, Porter announced her candidacy in the2024 election for the U.S. Senate from California. The announcement came before the incumbent,Dianne Feinstein, had announced whether she would seek reelection.[44][45] Porter raised over $1 million in donations in the 24 hours after announcing her candidacy, with an average donation of $38.[46][47] Her supporters formed asuper PAC called Women Have Initiative To Elect, Boost, and Organize for A Real Democrat (WHITEBOARD).[45]
Her major opponents in the campaign were DemocratAdam Schiff, RepublicanSteve Garvey, a former professional baseball player, and DemocratBarbara Lee, a progressive congresswoman.[48]
During the campaign, Porter's campaign offered her extensive fundraising list of phone numbers and email addresses for sale to interested parties.[49]
Porter failed to advance from the March 5nonpartisan primary, finishing third;[50][51] Schiff and Garvey advanced to the November general election.[48] With at least 99% of votes counted, Porter trailed Schiff and Garvey by between 800,000 and 1.2 million votes, with Porter failing to lead in any county.[52][53] The loss ensured that Porter, who did not seek reelection to her House seat, would leave Congress by January 2025.[51]
After her loss in the primary, Porter said the election had been "rigged" against her.[54] She claimed that the "rigging" criticism referred to Schiff's campaign and allies raising and spending $11 million in the nonpartisan primary to boost a Republican candidate and knock her out of the general election.[55][56] Her use of the word "rigged" triggered backlash from some Democrats, who condemned her language for echoing former president Trump'srefusal to accept his 2020 loss.[57][58] Porter later expressed regret, saying, "I wish I had chosen a different word."[50] She made clear that her assertions about the "rigging" were not related to counting of votes or the election process, which she called "beyond reproach". Porter said: "That is a dishonest means to manipulate the outcome. I said 'rigged by billionaires' and our politics are in fact manipulated by big dark money. Defending democracy means calling that out."[59]
On March 11, 2025, Porter announced that she would be entering California's 2026 gubernatorial race.[60][61]
On October 8, 2025, Porter threatened to walk out of an interview withCBS News Sacramento Correspondent Julie Watts.[62] After a question about what Porter would say to the Californians who voted forDonald Trump, Porter "scoffed" at Watts and grew "palpably irritated" by follow-up questions.[63] After Watts assured Porter that other candidates had answered the question and that her interviewing was not intended to be combative, Porter threatened to walk out of the interview. When Watts asked if Porter intended to continue the interview, Porter replied: "Nope, not like this I'm not. Not with seven follow-ups to every question you ask," adding that she didn't care that the other candidates had been asked the same question.[64] Politicians on both sides of the aisle condemned Porter's behavior. Former Los Angeles Mayor and opposing candidateAntonio Villaraigosa said the incident raised questions about Porter's ability to "answer simple questions."[65]
In June 2019, Porter became one of the first Democrats in aswing district to support an impeachment inquiry followingRobert Mueller'sSpecial Counsel investigation.[66][67] She voted for both thefirst andsecond impeachments ofDonald Trump.[68][69]
In January 2021, Porter was removed from the Financial Services Committee after opting to serve instead on theHouse Natural Resources andHouse Oversight committees.[70][71] On the Oversight committee, Porter participated in an investigation into theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)'s test standards for children's car seats and boosters side-impact.[72]
As of June 2022[update], Porter had voted in line withJoe Biden's stated position 98.2% of the time.[73]
DuringTrump's first presidency, Porter gained notice for her pointed questioning of public officials and business leaders during congressional hearings, often using visual aids such as whiteboards.[74][75] In March 2019, she questionedWells Fargo CEOTim Sloan, arguing that he contradicted his lawyers' "corporate puffery".[76][74] In April 2019, she questionedJPMorgan Chase CEOJamie Dimon.[77] In May 2019, she askedHousing and Urban Development SecretaryBen Carson about "REOs",real estate owned properties.[78] She questionedConsumer Financial Protection Bureau directorKathy Kraninger on basic math problems aboutannual percentage rates onpayday loans, which Kraninger declined to answer.[77] In March 2020,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directorRobert R. Redfield committed to freeCOVID-19 testing during questioning by Porter.[75]
At an August 24, 2020, congressional hearing, Porter questionedPostmaster GeneralLouis DeJoy. He admitted to her that he did not know the cost of mailing a postcard or a smaller greeting card, the starting rate for U.S. Priority Mail, or how many Americans voted by mail in the2016 elections.[79] In a December 2020 House hearing, she questionedUnited States Secretary of the TreasurySteve Mnuchin over COVID-19 relief funding.[80][81]
In January 2023,Politico reported on criticism that Porter was "allegedly a terrible—according to some accounts, abusive and racist—boss."[82] The accusations include allegations that she used racist language and "ridiculed people for reporting sexual harassment".[83]
TheWashington Post interviewed eight former employees on condition of anonymity about their experiences working for Porter.[84] The staffers described her as domineering and recounted multiple examples of her mistreatment of staffers, including instances where she berated staffers until they cried.[84] In response to the allegations that she created a toxic workplace, Porter defended herself onThe View in April 2023 by comparing herself to women of color who are discriminated against.[84]
In October 2025, a video of an online interview from July 2021 between then-Energy SecretaryJennifer Granholm and Porter resurfaced. In the background, one of Porter's employees appeared and Porter shouted "Get out of my fucking shot!".[85]
For the116th Congress:
For the117th Congress:
For the118th Congress:[87]
During her 2024 Senate campaign, Porter blamed the housing crisis on "Wall Street".[93] She argued that federal government investment in housing is needed in response toCalifornia's housing crisis.[94][95] She supports increased funding forsection 8 vouchers and an increase in the low-income housing tax credit.[96] As a candidate for governor, Porter endorsed State SenatorScott Wiener'sAbundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act (SB 79) to legalize multi-family housing near all transit stops statewide if passed.[2]
Porter opposed theoverturning ofRoe v. Wade.[97]
Porter was a co-sponsor of theEquality Act. In 2019 and 2021, she voted in favor ofH.R. 5, which passed in the House, but failed in the Senate.[98][99]
On January 13, 2022, Porter urged theFood and Drug Administration to end a policy that prevented sexually active gay and bisexual men from giving blood donations.[100][101] In 2022, Porter supported and voted in favor for theRespect for Marriage Act.[102]
In 2023, Porter joined writers in solidarity on the picket line during theWGA strike atThe Culver Studios in Los Angeles. Addressing the crowd Porter said, "One of the things I love about this movement is that you guys are in it to stand up to corporate power and set an example for all of your brothers and sisters who are workers, who are unionized, and who are struggling to have labor rights." While speaking to Deadline Hollywood, Porter stated that "corporations are using innovation and technology as an excuse to bust unions, and it's absolutely unacceptable,... So this strike is about the entertainment industry, but it's also about so much more."[103] Porter also joined theSAG-AFTRA, WGA picket line outsideParamount Studios in August 2023. She stated, "I'm here today to stand with the SAG-AFTRA workers to listen and to learn from them and to make it clear that workers have the right to bargain."[104]
Porter is a vocal supporter of Medicare for All.[105]
In March 2019, Porter introduced the "Help America Run Act" (H.R.1623), a bill that would allow people running for the House or Senate to use campaign contributions to pay forhealthcare premiums,elder care,child care, and dependent care. The bill passed the House in October 2019[106] but was not taken up by the Senate.[107]
In 2020, Porter accusedUnitedHealth of "putting profits before patients and providers" during theCOVID-19 pandemic. Porter sent a congressional letter to UnitedHealth Group CEO David Wichmann, accusing the healthcare provider of reducing their provider networks and decrease reimbursement rates.[108]
In 2020, Porter voted for theNo-Surprise Act, which prohibited medical providers from billing patients for costs denied by insurance companies.[109]
In an interview withYahoo Finance in 2022, Porter criticized pharmaceutical companies for investing more money instock buybacks than in research and development. She also addressed the high price of pharmaceuticals, saying, "Everybody should want us to have innovative care, but it doesn't do any good to develop those drugs if they're priced out of reach." Porter stated that "there is simply no set of facts that supports that allowing the government to negotiate drug prices would reduce innovation" and that the government should have the power to negotiate drug prices and it would help create a more competitive market.[110]
Porter has supported instituting more-stringent codes of conduct for the Supreme Court justices. In 2023,Demand Justice, an organization devoted to court reform and expansion, organized a statewide bus tour where Porter attended and put her support behind legislation that would expand the court to 13 justices.[111]
Porter voted for both thefirst andsecond impeachments of Donald Trump[66][67] In an interview with the Santa Barbara Independent, Porter talked about the reasons for her decision. She stated that "Trump has repeatedly broken the law and put his personal interest and his political interest ahead of this country's interest."[112]
Since 2018, Porter has not accepted campaign donations from corporate political action committees. She supportedH.R.1 through the House of Representatives, which would undo the Supreme Court'sCitizens United decision.[113]
After theJune 2024 presidential debate, Porter said that the White House "clearly fumbled" with its response to the fallout from President Biden's debate performance. In an interview withCNN,Jake Tapper asked Porter, if Biden was capable of holding an hour and a half press conference. Porter responded by saying, "Like most Americans, I actually don't have that information", she also stated that she hadn't personally seen the president in about a year. Porter suggested that a change in direction could include a change in advisers or a change in campaign strategy.[114][115]
In February 2023, Porter, on the House floor, called for the Biden administration to immediately end the blockade ofNagorno-Karabakh and to end all U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan. She stated, "American taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing Azerbaijan's constant aggression against the Armenian people." Porter also stated "Azerbaijan's goal is clear: to force the ethnic Armenians of Artsakh from their homeland by imposing conditions that make life impossible. We must hold Azerbaijan accountable for its aggression."[116]
In 2023, Porter voted against H.R. 21, which directed PresidentJoe Biden to remove U.S. troops fromSyria within 180 days.[117][118]
In December 2023, Porter called for a ceasefire in theGaza war afterHamas is removed "from operational control ofGaza" and blamed Hamas for the "shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicine" over the years in Gaza.[119]
Porter is a supporter of theGreen New Deal.[105]
Porter has been a supporter of theNational Park Service'sEvery Kid Outdoors program. In 2021, Porter pushed for additional funding for the program to increase children's access to national parks.[120][121] She endorsed the Biden administration's 2023 "America the Beautiful" initiative.[121][122]
In September 2023, during an interview withFox 5 San Diego, Porter stated, "California is going to need to continue to have an 'all of the above' energy approach but we're also going to need to make that transition,... And as we do, the question is can we make sure as we transition, slowly, away from fossil fuels to greener energy that we don't leave any workers behind."[123]
In February 2024 during her Senate campaign, in a debate, Porter called for decommissioning theDiablo Canyon Power Plant.[124]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Mimi Walters (incumbent) | 86,764 | 51.7 | |
| Democratic | Katie Porter | 34,078 | 20.3 | |
| Democratic | Dave Min | 29,979 | 17.8 | |
| Democratic | Brian Forde | 10,107 | 6.0 | |
| No party preference | John Graham | 3,817 | 2.3 | |
| Democratic | Kia Hamadanchy | 3,212 | 1.9 | |
| Total votes | 167,957 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Katie Porter | 158,906 | 52.1 | |
| Republican | Mimi Walters (incumbent) | 146,383 | 47.9 | |
| Total votes | 305,289 | 100.0 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Katie Porter (incumbent) | 112,986 | 50.8 | |
| Republican | Greg Raths | 39,942 | 17.9 | |
| Republican | Don Sedgwick | 28,465 | 12.8 | |
| Republican | Peggy Huang | 24,780 | 11.1 | |
| Republican | Lisa Sparks | 8,861 | 4.0 | |
| Republican | Christopher J. Gonzales | 5,443 | 2.4 | |
| Republican | Rhonda Furin | 2,140 | 1.0 | |
| Total votes | 222,617 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Katie Porter (incumbent) | 221,843 | 53.5 | |
| Republican | Greg Raths | 193,096 | 46.5 | |
| Total votes | 414,939 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Katie Porter (incumbent) | 86,742 | 51.7 | |
| Republican | Scott Baugh | 51,776 | 30.9 | |
| Republican | Amy Phan West | 13,949 | 8.3 | |
| Republican | Brian Burley | 11,952 | 7.1 | |
| Republican | Errol Webber | 3,342 | 2.0 | |
| Total votes | 167,761 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Katie Porter (incumbent) | 137,332 | 51.7 | |
| Republican | Scott Baugh | 128,209 | 48.3 | |
| Total votes | 265,541 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Adam Schiff | 2,304,829 | 31.57% | |
| Republican | Steve Garvey | 2,301,351 | 31.52% | |
| Democratic | Katie Porter | 1,118,429 | 15.32% | |
| Democratic | Barbara Lee | 717,129 | 9.82% | |
| Republican | Eric Early | 242,055 | 3.32% | |
| Republican | James Bradley | 98,778 | 1.35% | |
| Democratic | Christina Pascucci | 61,998 | 0.85% | |
| Republican | Sharleta Bassett | 54,884 | 0.75% | |
| Republican | Sarah Sun Liew | 38,718 | 0.53% | |
| No party preference | Laura Garza | 34,529 | 0.47% | |
| Republican | Jonathan Reiss | 34,400 | 0.47% | |
| Democratic | Sepi Gilani | 34,316 | 0.47% | |
| Libertarian | Gail Lightfoot | 33,295 | 0.46% | |
| Republican | Denice Gary-Pandol | 25,649 | 0.35% | |
| Republican | James Macauley | 23,296 | 0.32% | |
| Democratic | Harmesh Kumar | 21,624 | 0.30% | |
| Democratic | David Peterson | 21,170 | 0.29% | |
| Democratic | Douglas Pierce | 19,458 | 0.27% | |
| No party preference | Major Singh | 17,092 | 0.23% | |
| Democratic | John Rose | 14,627 | 0.20% | |
| Democratic | Perry Pound | 14,195 | 0.19% | |
| Democratic | Raji Rab | 13,640 | 0.19% | |
| No party preference | Mark Ruzon | 13,488 | 0.18% | |
| American Independent | Forrest Jones | 13,140 | 0.18% | |
| Republican | Stefan Simchowitz | 12,773 | 0.17% | |
| Republican | Martin Veprauskas | 9,795 | 0.13% | |
| No party preference | Don Grundmann | 6,641 | 0.09% | |
| No party preference | Michael Dilger(write-in) | 7 | 0.00% | |
| Republican | Carlos Guillermo Tapia(write-in) | 5 | 0.00% | |
| No party preference | John Dowell(write-in) | 3 | 0.00% | |
| Republican | Danny Fabricant(write-in) | 3 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 7,301,317 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve Garvey | 2,455,115 | 33.25% | |
| Democratic | Adam Schiff | 2,160,171 | 29.25% | |
| Democratic | Katie Porter | 1,272,684 | 17.24% | |
| Democratic | Barbara Lee | 866,551 | 11.74% | |
| Republican | Eric Early | 451,274 | 6.11% | |
| Democratic | Christina Pascucci | 109,867 | 1.49% | |
| Democratic | Sepi Gilani | 68,497 | 0.93% | |
| No party preference | Michael Dilger(write-in) | 27 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 7,384,186 | 100.0% | ||
Porter married Matthew Hoffman, with whom she has three children, in 2003. Porter filed for divorce in 2013. Their divorce was contentious, and both Hoffman and Porter sought help for anger management.[127] Her daughter, Betsy, is named afterElizabeth Warren.[11] Porter has said that Hoffman was both physically and verbally abusive toward her, while he accused her of pouring boiling potatoes on his head. She requested and received a protective order against Hoffman in 2013.[5] Hoffman lives outside of California, and Porter is the main caregiver for their children.[127]
Porter lives in a four-bedroom residence on the University of California, Irvine, campus that she purchased in 2011.[128] UC Irvine has a faculty and staff housing community,University Hills, that was designed as "a way to compensate for high Orange County housing costs that can keep a recruit from accepting a job at the university".[129] Porter's residence's price was $523,000, a below-market price in an area with a median home price of $1.3 million.[128] Porter stopped teaching in 2018 after being elected.[128] The university then continually granted Porter no-pay leave, allowing her to keep her residence on campus during her congressional tenure. A post-marriage relationship with a live-in boyfriend ended when she obtained a restraining order to keep him away from Porter, her home, and her children.[130]
ThePew Research Center reported in 2023 that Porter is anEpiscopalian.[131]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 45th congressional district 2019–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 47th congressional district 2023–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
| Other | |
