Katie Porter, who made headlines earlier in the week for reading ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a (F—)’ on the House floor amid the contentious Republican fight to elect Kevin McCarthy speaker, is once again atop the news carousel, this time for something else: She’s running for the Senate.
Porter, a representative from California’s Orange County, announced Tuesday morning she would run for U.S. senate in a bid to replace longtime senator Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein, who is the oldest member of the senate at age 89, has not yet announced whether she plans to run again.
What you need to know about Porter, a progressive Democrat whose political plans may shake up the party:
A Washington shake-up:Rep. Katie Porter is running for Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat in California
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Who is Katie Porter?
Representative Katie Porter, known for her blunt questioning style at House hearings, is a rising star on the left flank of the Democratic party.
Winning a crucial House race during the 2022 midterms, Porter has helped the Democrats hold parts of Orange County blue since 2018 – no small feat given the area’s tradition of conservatism.
Porter made a name for herself in recent years by bringing a white board to House hearings and grilling banking executives and administration officials alike. Her zinger-heavy approach has earned her an online following, and in the 2022 election season she became a top fundraiser for the Democratic party, raking in some $25 million.
An Iowa native, Porter earned her undergraduate degree from Yale in 1966 before moving on to Harvard Law. She served as a law professor at the University of California Irvine (which now lies in her district) and as a high-profile consumer and bankruptcy attorney with organizations like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the World Bank.
Throughout her legislative career she has focused on consumer interests andoversight. Her website boasts that ‘oversite’ is printed on her driver’s license. Porter serves on the House Oversight and Reform Committee and wrote in a campaign announcement on Twitter “California needs a warrior in the Senate — to stand up to special interests.”
Her announcement listed the pharmaceutical, oil, and banking industries as major targets for oversight, and reiterated a refusal to take lobbyist or corporate PAC campaign donations, a practice that has become a hallmark of the progressive wing of the party.
She is a single mother, who lives with her three children in Irvine.
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What area does Katie Porter represent?
Katie Porter represents California’s 47th Congressional District which covers a large swath of Orange County in the southern part of the state.
The area, long-viewed as a swing-district, includes cities like Irvine and Huntington Beach. Prior to redistricting, Porter represented the 45th District in California, serving from 2018 to 2022.
Who is Katie Porter running against?
Porter’s candidacy announcement is the first in this race but is not expected to be the last.
Feinstein has not yet announced her plans but filed paperwork in January 2021 to run for re-election. In a statement after Porter’s announcement the senator said, “Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, another progressive lawmaker who represents California’s 17th District in the northern part of the state is also considering a run, Vox reports along with Representatives Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee. The race is expected to be one of the more expensive and highly watched campaigns of the 2024 season.
Porter’s entry signals the race has just begun. A campaign for senate requires statewide appeal, and there is a significant difference in the political, cultural and demographic makeup of Orange County compared to the rest of the state.
