Katie Porter

Katherine Moore Porter (born January 3, 1974) is an American former politician who served as a U.S. representative from California from 2019 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she was a candidate in the 2024 U.S. Senate election in California and the 2026 California gubernatorial election. She did not advance from the nonpartisan primary in either race, placing third and fifth, respectively. Her poor showing was blamed, in part, on negative media attention regarding allegations of abusive behavior towards her congressional staff. In July 2026 she implied that she was retiring from politics. Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Porter graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School. 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. In the House, she was deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and received media attention for her questioning during congressional hearings. She was noted for her use of whiteboards and other visual aids, and she gained a reputation as a fierce questioner.