Katie Porter

Katie Porter was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Porter earned a B.A. from Yale University in 1996 and a J.D. from Harvard University in 2001. Her career experience includes working as a law professor with the University of California at Irvine; a consumer and bankruptcy attorney with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the World Bank, the Federal Judicial Center, and the Uniform Law Commission; and a law clerk to Judge Richard S. Arnold of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a lifelong consumer advocate, a single mom of three, and a proud Californian. I represented Orange County in Congress for six years, delivering results for working families and standing up to special interests. Before my time in Congress, I was appointed by then-Attorney General Kamala Harris to help enforce a nationwide $25 billion mortgage settlement. I helped thousands of Californians stay in their homes and delivered billions in relief.

In Congress, I earned a reputation for getting answers for the American people from Trump officials and corporate executives. In March 2020, I secured free COVID testing for every American through tough questioning of the CDC Director. I passed legislation that would raise federal firefighter pay and expand mental health coverage. I passed bills to stop corporate cheaters and strengthen disaster response. I wrote new laws to protect patients from unreasonable drug price hikes and hold polluters accountable.

In 2025, I returned to being a Professor of Law at UC Irvine. I teach consumer protection, bankruptcy, and legislation. I’m proud to be both an educator and a public servant.

I am the only person in this race who has never taken a dime from corporations or corporate PACs. I won’t look the other way when powerful corporations or special interests lie, cheat, and rip off Californians. My career has always been about making sure the rules work for people, not just the powerful. That’s the energy and focus I’ll bring as Governor.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Housing affordability is California’s most urgent challenge. Time is money in housing. I plan to speed up building by nearly two years, putting California on par with its peer states that also have strong worker and environmental protections, bringing down housing costs by up to 20%. I will enforce our housing laws to ensure prompt issue of certificates of occupancy, stop local delays that too often occur even after the projects receive a building entitlement, innovate in construction techniques, and make state investments in housing by contributing land and infrastructure investment. I have the housing policy knowledge and the record of leadership, like being the first candidate to champion SB 79, that California needs.Trump and his allies have made critical cuts to Medicaid and eliminated health insurance subsidies. His attacks on abortion access and gender-affirming care are particularly concerning. Health care is an investment in the people of California. Our system needs an overhaul to put patients before profits, which is why I support implementing a single-payer health care system. As Governor, I will stand up to Trump and make health care more accessible and affordable. In Congress, I wrote—and passed—laws to lower drug costs and expand access to mental health care, and I grilled Donald Trump’s CDC Director until he guaranteed free COVID testing for every American. That’s the kind of leadership I will provide to keep Californians healthy.I am fighting to lower costs and grow our economy, including by putting forward plans for free child care, zero tuition at our public universities, and eliminating state income tax for Californians making under $100,000. These policies won’t just put thousands of dollars back in your pockets, they’ll grow our economy too. No one else in this race has the detailed plans or is even talking about lowering child care costs or college tuition, because they’re either a billionaire who doesn’t understand what Californians are facing or they’re backed by corporations who stand to benefit from the unaffordable status quo. I’m the only candidate refusing corporate money, so Californians can trust that I will fight for them — not special interests.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have been fighting for an “Economy for All” my entire life. As a consumer protection advocate, my life’s work has been helping families who have been cheated by corporations get back on their feet. As a single mom of three kids, I understand just how dire California’s cost crisis has become. I’m the one pushing the grocery cart and putting the $9 box of cereal back on the shelf. Delivering affordability and economic justice to working families, rather than corporations, is my top priority as Governor. I will deliver less expensive housing, zero tuition at UCs and CSUs, free childcare, and no state income tax on income under $100,000, and I’ll make corporations and billionaires pay their fair share.

Campaign websitePorter's campaign website stated the following:PRIORITIESDEFENDING YOUR HEALTH CARE FROM TRUMP’S ATTACKS:Our next governor must be a health care governor! In Congress, I took on our health care challenges — passing a strong law to stop insurance companies from wrongfully denying care, and saving patients billions from drug companies’ price gouging.Now, there is no doubt that the biggest threat to our health care in California will be from Trump and his allies in Washington. In their far-right budget proposal, Trump and his cronies are attacking the very foundations for our health care system with drastic and devastating cuts. These cuts would put Medicare and Medicaid funding on the chopping block, take away critical money for our safety net hospitals, slash funding that helps middle class Californians afford health insurance premiums, and destabilize programs that help seniors and low-income families get preventative care that keeps them out of hospitals. Who gets hurt? All of us! You and your family! Your neighbors! Doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers! As your Governor, I will fight these cuts with every fiber of my being and work to fortify our health care system at the state level so we can protect, expand and improve health care for all of our residents, while making sure our health care workforce has the support they need to care for Californians.EVERYTHING COSTS TOO MUCH! LET’S MAKE IT EASIER TO LIVE HERE:California families can’t keep up — with housing, the cost of groceries, utilities, childcare, higher education, transportation — not to mention saving for retirement. As a single mom of three kids — I know that everything from eggs, bacon, and even flour and sugar are ridiculously expensive right now, and I have seen how the purchasing power of most families has gotten worse since the pandemic. In Congress, I was only ever motivated by one thing: making Californians’ lives better. That won’t change when I am governor. I’ll fight to rein in costs for Californians, expand economic opportunity so families can better tackle inflation, and fight Trump Administration policies like counterproductive tariffs that will only hit you in the pocketbook with higher prices for necessities and make the problem worse.BRING BUSINESSES, WORKERS, AND GOVERNMENT TOGETHER SO OUR ECONOMY THRIVES:As a consumer advocate and a professor specializing in business law, I saw first hand the power of innovation, competition, and workers to create prosperity. California is the engine of  America’s economy and a world economic powerhouse — all thanks to the entrepreneurs and workers who had a good idea and put that idea to work. The businesses that started here employ millions of Californians and have allowed our state to have an outsized voice on the world stage. We have to keep that momentum going. I’ll bring businesses, workers, and government together to solve problems and ensure the next generation of technological innovations and economic advancements happen right here in California. I will fight for sustainable good paying union jobs and to ensure our workers have the skills and training they need to thrive in the modern workforce. Every Californian should have the opportunity to be part of California’s economic success and reap the benefits from the amazing things that happen here.BUILD MORE HOUSING AND KEEP CALIFORNIANS OFF THE STREETS:California is in the grips of a decades-long housing crisis. My own kids, who are teenagers and college-age, have told me they worry they will never be able to afford to live in their home state of California because of the high cost of housing. We face a generation of Californians in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s who are forced to defer starting a family and owning a home because the cost is just too high. Critical workers — like teachers, nurses, firefighters, and police officers — are forced to commute hours each day because they can’t afford to live in the communities they work. And more than 150,000 Californians are living unhoused on our streets and sidewalks. We must build more housing of all types — from housing for our seniors who want to age in place to our next generation of talent graduating from our universities. I’ll push the federal government to invest in California’s housing challenges; our biggest need must be Washington’s biggest priority. And I’ll leverage funding streams, greenlight innovative building strategies, shred unnecessary red tape, and create incentives to build the housing that our economy and communities need.DEFEND CLEAN AIR LAWS AND EXPAND CLEAN ENERGY:In Congress, I took on Trump’s attempts to expand drilling off our coasts, and I fought to ensure oil companies to clean up the damaging leaks caused by their conduct. Now, Trump is restarting his extreme pro-polluter agenda, and California’s environmental laws will be in his cross hairs. I won’t back down in defending our landmark clean air laws that have reduced pollution and help our kids breathe easier. I will protect our wildland, open spaces and oceans — all resources that power our economy and create amazing communities. And I will fight to ensure that California remains on the front-edge of clean energy innovation and technology so California can be the first state to achieve 100% renewable energy output, 365 days a year.PREPARE FOR DISASTERS LIKE WILDFIRES, EARTHQUAKES & FLOODS:Natural disasters can come at any time, so California needs a governor who is tough enough for the task of preventing and rebuilding. We face threats of fires, floods, earthquakes, and even tsunamis, and every dollar in preparation protects us all. In Congress, I authored legislation to raise firefighter pay and passed it through the House of Representatives. And I wrote legislation that would have mandated and funded after-action reports by FEMA so the agency could sharpen best practices and improve their response from disaster to disaster. But the Trump Administration is taking the opposite approach — making deep cuts to FEMA, laying off critical wildland firefighters and safety experts, cutting funding for the agencies like NOAA that study weather patterns. Meanwhile, Trump and his cronies have threatened to illegally hold California disaster money hostage.  I will fight for every federal dollar that our communities are owed, create incentives for businesses, families, and governments to invest in disaster resistance, and I’ll fight to improve and expand our ability to fight fires and respond to natural disasters at the state level.— Katie Porter's campaign website (April 8, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Regular election

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Special election

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Campaign website

Porter's campaign website stated the following:

Giant corporations and special interests have too much power in our economy. They have too much power in Washington, too. Before being elected to Congress, I spent over a decade as a consumer protection advocate – fighting against corporations that made huge profits by cheating families and their workers. I saw firsthand how politicians rigged the rules in favor of those with wealth and power – at the expense of working families and taxpayers. I ran for Congress to rewrite those rules, to take on corporations, special interests, and government bureaucrats. I’ve done exactly that, and I’ve delivered for everyday people, from getting the government to make COVID testing free to closing loopholes that insurance companies used to deny mental health care.

I’m proud to be the only candidate in this race who has never taken corporate PAC money, refuses federal lobbyist money, and hasn’t funded their campaign with donations from Big Oil, Big Pharma, or Big Banks. Because what happens when politicians get too cozy with lobbyists and powerful corporations? Corruption. We don’t need another career politician who will protect the status quo. Californians deserve a leader who will shake up the Senate and get Washington working for all of us, delivering an economy that lifts up families and a society that protects the rights of all. Here’s how.

Clean Up Corruption & Shake Up the Senate

Our laws shouldn’t be bought and paid for. But right now, Washington helps mega corporations and billionaire CEOs line their pockets – all at our expense. Time and again, we see Washington politicians advance policies that cater to Wall Street, Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Big Insurance – and stick everyday families with the bill.

This legal corruption has to end. We deserve a U.S. Senate designed for the 21st century, with real reforms that stop our laws and regulations from being auctioned off to the highest bidder. We also need to make our leaders accountable to the people they are supposed to serve.

Reform Our Broken Campaign Finance System

We need to ban Senators from taking donations from registered lobbyists, get dark money out of politics, and overturn Citizens United. Californians deserve to have confidence their lawmakers are working for them, not for their donors.

Multinational corporations unfairly dominate Washington and our legal system. Billion-dollar businesses should not be able to drown out the voice of everyday Americans by making campaign donations to politicians. Corporate cash should not infect our politics. I’ve led the fight to ban it, not only with legislation but with my own actions. California’s next Senator should be committed to funding their campaign with grassroots donations. I strongly support a ban on corporations giving donations to politicians.

I’m also proud to be one of 11 members of Congress who reject contributions from federal lobbyists — but this pledge should be the rule, not the exception. If a lobbyist wants to meet with me, they must bring their ideas – not their checkbooks. Yet many of my colleagues in Washington continue to have their hands out to lobbyists and the special interests that employ them. Let’s end this legalized corruption and get Washington working for regular people.

Eliminate Pet-project Funding for Politicians, also known as Earmarks

Politicians running for reelection should not be allowed to divert taxpayer dollars to their own pet projects. This type of unaccountable funding — known as earmarks — wastes tax dollars, enables corruption, and creates inherent conflicts of interest. In fact, for years, Washington politicians habitually funneled these special projects to for-profit companies run by their top donors. Then, they refused to disclose where they had sent the money. This is corruption, plain and simple.

We should eliminate earmarks. Neutral experts are best equipped to determine where resources are most needed and how to deliver them effectively and efficiently, especially to historically disadvantaged communities and communities of color whom politicians have long ignored in favor of wealthy donors’ wish lists. I support banning earmarks and redirecting this money to the communities that need it the most.

Ban Members of Congress from Trading Stocks

The American people need to know government officials are working in the public’s interest, not in the interest of their own personal stock portfolios. I’m leading efforts to ban top officials – from the President to Supreme Court Justices to members of Congress – from trading individual stocks while in office. I have never bought or sold a single stock since taking office – and I believe that all members of Congress should be required to do the same. I’ve also authored legislation requiring lawmakers to be transparent about how they benefit from their votes by requiring them to disclose federal grants, government loans, or other payments.

Root Out Waste, Fraud, and Abuse of Taxpayer Dollars

Californians work hard for their money; our taxpayer dollars should never be wasted. Too many in Washington point the finger at the other party rather than holding Congress accountable for every dollar spent. I’ve demanded answers in both Democratic and Republican administrations, and I’ve taken on the corporate special interests that lard up the government’s budget on the backs of hardworking taxpayers.

Abolish the Filibuster

Senators shouldn’t get to hide behind an archaic rule to avoid acting on the people’s most significant needs and problems – from investments in housing to combating climate change. Americans deserve to know where their elected leaders stand, and California deserves a Senate that does its job, takes votes, and passes legislation. That requires eliminating the filibuster.

Clean up the Courts

Our Supreme Court is corrupted by dark money and special interests. The Court caters to donors and powerful corporations and fails to disclose conflicts of interest. We can clean up the Court by enacting an enforceable judicial code of ethics. And we can prevent future corruption and expand the delivery of justice by imposing term limits and increasing the number of justices. We have a Supreme Court that is too busy doing the bidding of the wealthy to take the cases that matter to working families, from protecting endangered species to keeping people safe at work.

Expand Voting Rights

Our democracy is under attack, and we need a Senate that will protect the right to vote. Every Californian eligible to vote should be able to do so securely and easily without discrimination or suppression. We must also end partisan gerrymandering so voters choose their leaders rather than leaders choosing their voters.

Make the Senate Accountable to the People

Transparency is critical to accountability. Voters should be able to see how their elected leaders spend their time, so I disclose the meetings that I take. There are no closed doors in my Congressional office. And I’ve authored legislation to let every elected leader do the same. I’ve held dozens of public town halls and have created innovative ways for people to engage in policy-making, such as by creating a Youth Advisory Board. California needs a Senator who listens to them, not corporate special interests.

Empower Workers

Every worker deserves to join or start a union, and we must create – and enforce – policies that deliver that opportunity. The federal government should be at the forefront of protecting workers, and I enthusiastically support modernizing our labor laws by passing the PRO Act.

But that’s not enough. We need to empower workers to form unions through card checks. We need to finally boost the minimum wage to $20 per hour nationally and $25 per hour in California, both of which should be indexed to inflation.

We must fight against corporate special interests pushing for a federal right-to-work-for-less law. We must crack down on union busting, wage theft, and retaliation. And we must stop state and local governments from unfairly subcontracting out public services. I won’t be a Senator who only votes for the PRO Act or checks a box. Instead, I’ll continue working with organized labor to bolster worker protections, demand answers from greedy CEOs, and enforce our labor laws.

Farmers & Farm Workers

I grew up on a small family farm, was an avid 4-H’er and Future Farmers of America member, and lived through the farm crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. I saw firsthand how Washington saved the banks but left families like mine behind. I’m dedicated to supporting California’s farming community, especially our farm workers and small-to-medium-sized farm owners. We need a Farm Bill that puts California farm families and our communities first.

That includes robust funding for food and nutrition programs and investing in the fruit, vegetables, and specialty crops that keep American kids healthy. California must continue leading the nation in production while ensuring farm safety nets in the face of climate threats and maintaining land conservation programs and forest health.

Our farm workers feed our nation and contribute tens of billions of dollars to our economy. We all benefit when farm workers are well-supported and empowered. I staunchly support more robust protections for workers in extreme weather conditions, and I’m pressing the Administration to guarantee water breaks to workers facing extreme heat. With scientists recently deeming recent heat waves “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change, it’s as urgent as ever to combat the climate crisis to keep farm workers safe and protect our food supply.

We must be clear-eyed about how consolidation in the food industry is causing higher consumer prices and worse conditions for workers. I strongly support boosting competition in agricultural production and food processing space. As the only major candidate in this race who’s never taken corporate PAC and refuses federal lobbyist money, I have no problem taking on the massive corporate agribusinesses that are pushing smaller farms out of business, hiking prices, and taking advantage of their workers.

Washington Created Our Housing & Homelessness Crisis – They Should Fix It!

We don’t just have a homelessness crisis in California; we have a housing crisis. Chronic street homelessness is the tip of a giant housing affordability iceberg. Full-time workers, families, younger people, older people – so many Californians are struggling to find housing they can afford. This crisis has been years in the making, and it’s a direct result of the federal government failing to take ownership of this issue for decades. Municipalities already strapped for resources and staff shouldn’t have to tackle their housing crises alone. The federal government must be more than a partner in building housing. It needs to be a leader. We need more housing now, and only the federal government can make the large-scale policy changes and investments necessary to build quality projects quickly.

It shouldn’t be difficult for any American working full-time, even at minimum wage, to afford a place to call home. Washington can start to be part of the solution by:

Passing a major federal investment in affordable and workforce housing to build the millions more units we need in California.

Ensuring every Californian who qualifies for housing assistance can receive it, including through fully funding Section 8 vouchers at the federal level.

Championing innovative housing financing models to create new homeownership opportunities that don’t reward Wall Street banks.

Investing in more workforce housing to make it easier for new communities to take root and grow, with nonprofits providing residents onsite services and programs tailored to their needs.

We Must Rebuild Our Immigration System

We need policies that reflect the value all immigrants bring to our communities – not our current piecemeal, broken system that serves more to dehumanize immigrants seeking to enrich our country instead of helping them succeed.

Simply put, our immigration system is a mess. Extremist Republicans have stood in the way of real reform that would create a fair and orderly pathway to citizenship for millions. And let’s be honest: Democrats in Congress have failed to deliver needed immigration reforms, even when they controlled both chambers of Congress.

Now, a generation of immigrants live in the shadows of our economy, many with bosses who exploit their workers’ statuses to steal their wages and abuse them in the workplace. We have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients fearing their status will expire every five years. We have Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients who cannot safely return home yet still have no opportunity for citizenship. We have asylum seekers worldwide who are unsure about the rules and requirements for entry. The United States of America is still a beacon of hope to many across the globe, and it’s time we act like it.

And here’s the economic reality: California needs immigrants. Our state depends on agricultural workers to feed the nation. Small businesses from Chico to Temecula desperately need more service workers. We also need scientists to keep us ahead of the curb globally and more doctors and nurses to care for our aging population. We need a fair and orderly immigration system that treats people with dignity, not one that’s scotch-taped and hot-glued together because politicians in Washington are afraid to tackle challenging issues.

Unrig the Economy

California is too expensive. That’s a fact. As a single mom of three school-aged kids, I know rising costs are squeezing families. Yet while essentials like rent, groceries, and health care continue to skyrocket in price, big corporations are raking in the cash, with recent profit margins hitting a 70-year high. The federal government must rethink how it invests in our communities to bring costs down permanently and hold companies accountable when they price gouge consumers.

To unrig the American economy, once and for all, we will have to make historic investments in housing, climate action, education, and health care and take on the corporate consolidation that’s leading to higher consumer prices. With millions of California families living paycheck to paycheck, the federal government must act to alleviate our state’s growing affordability crisis.

We need to crack down on corporate monopolies and encourage competition. Competition is critical to a healthy capitalist economy. Data shows that giant corporations – from major grocers to mega department store chains to health giants – are hiking prices on essential goods to boost profits. They’re getting away with it because they dominate their respective markets and don’t have to compete for consumers. We can lower consumer prices and better protect workers by making it easier for smaller businesses to compete, including by strengthening antitrust laws and enforcing those already on the books. We must also crack down on giant corporations coordinating price hikes and hold companies accountable for overcharging.

Combat the Climate Crisis

I serve on the House Natural Resources Committee because I understand the urgent need to protect our planet and deliver clean energy investments to California. I’ve confronted Big Oil CEOs directly about efforts to mislead the public, and I’ve fought to raise fees on polluters that hadn’t been updated in decades.

One of the most fiscally responsible things we can do is take bold, urgent action to reduce carbon emissions and protect all communities from the climate crisis. Weather and climate-related disasters intensified by climate change, including wildfires and floods, cost taxpayers $145 billion in 2021 alone. This price will only go up the longer we wait to take bold action.

I’m sick and tired of Washington politicians selling our futures to the highest bidders, including Big Oil and other polluters. I’m the only person in this race who’s never taken corporate PAC money, refuses federal lobbyist money, and won’t take money from executives from Big Oil or Big Banks. These pledges are reflected in my fights to hold polluters accountable. We need to end Big Oil’s dominance in Washington and move toward a clean energy economy that doesn’t leave anyone behind. Here’s how:

Invest in Clean Energy

Whoever dominates the renewable energy space today will have tomorrow’s most robust economy. Clean energy has the potential to unlock thousands of good-paying jobs in construction, manufacturing, research, education, and more. I support continued investments in clean energy and efforts to empower workers and communities as we push boldly toward clean energy and away from fossil fuels.

Hold Polluters Accountable

California deserves a Senator who will hold polluters accountable. I’m not afraid to stand up to Big Oil companies, as I’ve repeatedly demanded answers from their CEOs on everything from greenwashing to their greedy demands to drill on even more public land and water. I’ve also written legislation that’s been signed into law to raise fees on polluters, and I’m backing legislation that would better protect taxpayers from cleaning up messes abandoned by polluters and finally eliminate unfair tax breaks. For too long, polluters have bought and paid for their own rules, relying on elected officials for their legislative dirty work. But no more. We must end this cozy relationship and send elected officials to DC with the backbone to stand up to greedy polluters, especially those that target historically disadvantaged communities.

Prioritize Disaster Preparedness and C