Katie Porter: What to know about CA gubernatorial candidate

Katie Porter, former congresswoman who represented an Orange County district, attorney and law professor, gained national attention when she began using a whiteboard to complex financial data while questioning corporate executives during congressional hearings.

Upon leaving Congress, Porter went back to her roots by teaching at the UC Irvine School of Law. But she didn’t give up on her political ambition.

After running for U.S. Senate for California — and failing to advance against her Democratic rival, then-Rep. Adam Schiff — Porter now has her eyes on the California governor’s office.

Who is Katie Porter?

Porter, 52, is an Iowa native who attended two Ive League schools. After earning her bachelor’s degree at Yale, she attended and graduated from Harvard Law where she met then-bankruptcy professor Elizabeth Warren.

After earning her law degree, she taught at a number of respected universities. Her teaching career led her to Southern California when she became a tenured professor at the UC Irvine School of Law in the early 2010s.

Porter entered politics when she beat Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in 2018 to represent Congressional District 45 in Orange County.

What are Katie Porter’s proposals?

In addition to her expertise in law and ability to break down complex economic matters, Porter has repeatedly portrayed herself as a relatable candidate who understands the financial hardships because she’s a single mother of three children.

Porter has pledged to eliminate state income tax for those making less than $100,000 a year — something GOP candidate Steve Hilton is also proposing.

In additional to promising to make public universities free, Porter is pushing for free child care for all Californians.

Similar to some of her Democratic rivals in the governor’s race, Porter supports a single-payer health care system, which would offer medical services at low costs to Californians.

What does Porter say about immigration?

Porter has pledged to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by working with federal partners although she has not laid out details.

She has not explained how she would push for the elimination of ICE when it is not guaranteed that the Democratic Party will control both chambers of Congress or the White House after the Trump administration.

Democratic former representative Katie Porter has announced her run for California Governor. This video as broadcast on the NBC4 News at 6 a.m. on March 11, 2025. 

What are controversies surrounding Porter?

Porter has been criticized for her tough or seemingly aggressive persona, most recently with the release of a 2021 Zoom video.

When a staffer walked into her background during Porter’s Zoom call, the then-congresswoman broke her professional tone and shouted at the staffer, telling her to get out of her shot — using an expletive.

Her supporters have cried foul over the controversy, saying it highlights double standards against female candidate. Porter also said she apologized to that particular staffer and has continued to work with her to this day.