Katie Porter

Office sought: Governor
Party: Democratic
Ballot designation: Professor of law at UC Irvine, former congressmember from Orange County

Background

Biography. 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]

Prior offices and election history

2026

See also: California gubernatorial election, 2026 California gubernatorial election, 2026 (June 2 top-two primary) General election The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary. Nonpartisan primary election Nonpartisan primary for Governor of California The following candidates are running in the primary for Governor of California on June 2, 2026. Candidate Akinyemi Agbede (D) Mohammad Arif (D) Submit photo James Athans Jr. (R) Submit photo Larry D. Azevedo (D) Submit photo Naomi Bar-Lev (No party preference) Xavier Becerra (D) Chad Bianco (R) Carolina Buhler (D) Submit photo Joseph Cabrera (No party preference) Submit photo Elaine Culotti (No party preference) Submit photo Louis De Barraicua (D) Patricia De Luca Basualdo (R) Submit photo LivingForGod DeMott (No party preference) Submit photo Randeep Dhillon (R) Submit photo Sophia Edum-a-Sam (D) Serge Fiankan (No party preference) Submit photo Lukasz Filinski (No party preference) Max Fomin (No party preference) Derek Grasty (D) Don Grundmann (No party preference) Submit photo Jon Henderson (No party preference) Lewis Herms (No party preference) Submit photo Rafael Hernandez (R) Steve Hilton (R) Joel Jacob (D) Submit photo Dawit Kellel (No party preference) Submit photo Gary Kidgell (D) Anne Komarovsk (No party preference) Submit photo Alicia Lapp (R) Submit photo Matthew Levy (D) Submit photo Duane Loynes Jr. (No party preference) Matt Mahan (D) Amanda Martin (No party preference) Submit photo Brent Maupin (No party preference) Daniel Mercuri (No party preference) Submit photo Leo Naranjo IV (R) Tim Nelson (R) Mauro Alberto Orozco (No party preference) Thunder Parley (D) Katie Porter (D) Raji Rab (D) Submit photo Satish Rao (D) Ramsey Robinson (Peace and Freedom Party) Reza Safarnejad (No party preference) Submit photo Sam Sandak (No party preference) Christine Sarmiento (No party preference) Frederic Schultz (No party preference) Barack D. Obama Shaw (D) Submit photo Scott Shields (D) Submit photo Gretha Solórzano (R) Thomas Steyer (D) Eric Swalwell (D) (Unofficially withdrew) Tony Thurmond (D) Submit photo Margaret Trowe (No party preference) Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Tom Woodard (L) Betty Yee (D) (Unofficially withdrew) Nancy Young (No party preference) Leo Zacky (R) Submit photo Erin Zezulak (D) Submit photo David Zickefoose (R) Butch Ware (G) (Write-in) There are no incumbents in this race. = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Ché Ahn (R) Leonard Jackson (No party preference) Kyle Langford (R) Ebony Taylor (R) Toni Atkins (D) Sharifah Hardie (R) Eleni Kounalakis (D) Ethan Agarwal (D) Brandon Jones (R) Jesse Alberti (No party preference) Javen Allen (No party preference) Nicholas Thompson (L) George Slivka (D) Jon Slavet (R) Tony Fitzpatrick (No party preference) Ian Charles Calderon (D) Michael Younger (D)

2026 — Endorsements

Porter received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here . U.S. Rep. Dave Min (D) U.S. Rep. Derek Tran (D) IBEW Local 441 National Union of Healthcare Workers A Bluer and Better Orange County (Sway voting group by Ryan Dack) CalMatters Voter Guide (Sway voting group by CalMatters) California Environmental Voters’ Voting Group (Sway voting group by California Environmental Voters) California Labor Federation’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by California Labor Federation) Commit to vote for Katie Porter (Sway voting group by Katie Porter) EMILY’s List EMILY’s List’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by EMILY’s List) East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club) Elect Democratic Women Fullerton Observer’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Fullerton Observer) KQED Voter Guide (Sway voting group by KQED) My Sandwich, My Choice (Sway voting group by MaryJane) National Union of Healthcare Workers’ Voting Group (Sway voting group by National Union of Healthcare Workers) New Deal Dems (Sway voting group by Hunter Dunn) San Francisco Women’s Political Committee’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by San Francisco Women’s Political Committee) Teamsters Joint Council 7’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Teamsters Joint Council 7) UAW California’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by UAW California) UAW’s Endorsements (Sway voting group by UAW) Union Yes San Diego’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Union Yes San Diego) United Auto Workers Region 6 iVoterGuide California (Sway voting group by iVoterGuide)

2024 — Regular election

See also: United States Senate election in California, 2024 General election General election for U.S. Senate California Adam Schiff defeated Steve Garvey in the general election for U.S. Senate California on November 5, 2024. Candidate % Votes ✔ Adam Schiff (D) 58.9 9,036,252 Steve Garvey (R) 41.1 6,312,594 There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 15,348,846 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Nonpartisan primary election Nonpartisan primary for U.S. Senate California The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. Senate California on March 5, 2024. Candidate % Votes ✔ Adam Schiff (D) 31.6 2,304,829 ✔ Steve Garvey (R) 31.5 2,301,351 Katie Porter (D) 15.3 1,118,429 Barbara Lee (D) 9.8 717,129 Eric Early (R) 3.3 242,055 James P. Bradley (R) 1.4 98,778 Christina Pascucci (D) 0.8 61,998 Sharleta Bassett (R) 0.8 54,884 Sarah Sun Liew (R) 0.5 38,718 Submit photo Laura Garza (No party preference) 0.5 34,529 Jonathan Reiss (R) 0.5 34,400 Sepi Gilani (D) 0.5 34,316 Gail Lightfoot (L) 0.5 33,295 Denice Gary-Pandol (R) 0.4 25,649 James Macauley (R) 0.3 23,296 Harmesh Kumar (D) 0.3 21,624 David Peterson (D) 0.3 21,170 Douglas Howard Pierce (D) 0.3 19,458 Major Singh (No party preference) 0.2 17,092 John Rose (D) 0.2 14,627 Perry Pound (D) 0.2 14,195 Raji Rab (D) 0.2 13,640 Mark Ruzon (No party preference) 0.2 13,488 Forrest Jones (American Independent Party of California) 0.2 13,140 Submit photo Stefan Simchowitz (R) 0.2 12,773 Martin Veprauskas (R) 0.1 9,795 Don Grundmann (No party preference) 0.1 6,641 Michael Dilger (No party preference) (Write-in) 0.0 7 Carlos Guillermo Tapia (R) (Write-in) 0.0 5 Submit photo John Dowell (No party preference) (Write-in) 0.0 3 Danny Fabricant (R) (Write-in) 0.0 3 There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 7,301,317 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Lexi Reese (D) Alexander Norbash (D) Renee Martinez (No party preference) Dominick Dorothy (D) Joshua Bocanegra (D) Barack Obama Mandela (R) Joe Sosinski (No party preference) James Shuster (R) Rommell Montenegro (D) Zakaria Kortam (R) John Pappenheim (R) Jacob Farmos (D) Roxanne Lawler (R) Jessica Resendez (D) Jeremy Fennell (D) Carson Franklin Jr. (D) Fepbrina Keivaulqe Autiameineire (Vienmerisce Veittemeignzce USA) Paul Anderson (G) Peter Liu (R) Dana Bobbitt (No party preference) Zafar Inam (D) Jehu Hand (R) Eduardo Berdugo (No party preference) Frank Ferreira (No party preference)

2024 — Regular election — Endorsements

Porter received the following endorsements. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D) State Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D) State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D) State Sen. Josh Newman (D) State Sen. Scott Wiener (D) State Rep. Alex Lee (D) State Asm. Cottie Petrie-Norris (D) State Asm. Chris Ward State Asm. Buffy Wicks (D) Councilmember, Long Beach Cindy Allen (Nonpartisan) Councilmember, Long Beach Suely Saro (Nonpartisan) Councilmember, Irvine Kathleen Treseder (Nonpartisan) California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) Member, Orange Unified Board of Education Kris Erickson (Nonpartisan) Member, Rancho Santiago Community College District Sal Tinajero (Nonpartisan) Member, Orange Unified Board of Education Andrea Yamasaki (Nonpartisan) Association of Flight Attendants Bay Area IBEW Local 180 California Labor Federation California School Employees Association Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 9 IBEW Local 441 IBEW Local 569 National Union of Healthcare Workers United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America Consumer Federation of California J Street Progressive Change Campaign Committee San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board Vote Mama PAC Women in Leadership PAC

2024 — Special election

See also: United States Senate special election in California, 2024 General election Special general election for U.S. Senate California Adam Schiff defeated Steve Garvey in the special general election for U.S. Senate California on November 5, 2024. Candidate % Votes ✔ Adam Schiff (D) 58.8 8,837,051 Steve Garvey (R) 41.2 6,204,637 There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 15,041,688 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Nonpartisan primary election Special nonpartisan primary for U.S. Senate California The following candidates ran in the special primary for U.S. Senate California on March 5, 2024. Candidate % Votes ✔ Steve Garvey (R) 33.2 2,455,115 ✔ Adam Schiff (D) 29.3 2,160,171 Katie Porter (D) 17.2 1,272,684 Barbara Lee (D) 11.7 866,551 Eric Early (R) 6.1 451,274 Christina Pascucci (D) 1.5 109,867 Sepi Gilani (D) 0.9 68,497 Michael Dilger (No party preference) (Write-in) 0.0 27 There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 7,384,186 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2024 — Special election — Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Porter in this election.

2022

See also: California’s 47th Congressional District election, 2022 General election General election for U.S. House California District 47 Incumbent Katie Porter defeated Scott Baugh in the general election for U.S. House California District 47 on November 8, 2022. Candidate % Votes ✔ Katie Porter (D) 51.7 137,374 Scott Baugh (R) 48.3 128,261 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 265,635 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Nonpartisan primary election Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 47 Incumbent Katie Porter and Scott Baugh defeated Amy Phan West , Brian Burley , and Errol Webber in the primary for U.S. House California District 47 on June 7, 2022. Candidate % Votes ✔ Katie Porter (D) 51.7 86,742 ✔ Scott Baugh (R) 30.9 51,776 Amy Phan West (R) 8.3 13,949 Brian Burley (R) 7.1 11,952 Errol Webber (R) 2.0 3,342 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 167,761 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Michelle Lyons (R) William Griffith (D)

2020

See also: California’s 45th Congressional District election, 2020 General election General election for U.S. House California District 45 Incumbent Katie Porter defeated Greg Raths in the general election for U.S. House California District 45 on November 3, 2020. Candidate % Votes ✔ Katie Porter (D) 53.5 221,843 Greg Raths (R) 46.5 193,096 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 414,939 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Nonpartisan primary election Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 45 The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 45 on March 3, 2020. Candidate % Votes ✔ Katie Porter (D) 50.8 112,986 ✔ Greg Raths (R) 17.9 39,942 Don Sedgwick (R) 12.8 28,465 Peggy Huang (R) 11.1 24,780 Lisa Sparks (R) 4.0 8,861 Christopher Gonzales (R) 2.4 5,443 Rhonda Furin (R) 1.0 2,140 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 222,617 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Brian Forde (D) Julie Proctor (R) Mimi Walters (R) Brenton Woolworth (R) Ray Gennawey (R) Aditya Pai (D)

2018

See also: California’s 45th Congressional District election, 2018 General election General election for U.S. House California District 45 Katie Porter defeated incumbent Mimi Walters in the general election for U.S. House California District 45 on November 6, 2018. Candidate % Votes ✔ Katie Porter (D) 52.1 158,906 Mimi Walters (R) 47.9 146,383 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 305,289 (100.00% precincts reporting) = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Nonpartisan primary election Nonpartisan primary for U.S. House California District 45 The following candidates ran in the primary for U.S. House California District 45 on June 5, 2018. Candidate % Votes ✔ Mimi Walters (R) 51.7 86,764 ✔ Katie Porter (D) 20.3 34,078 Dave Min (D) 17.8 29,979 Brian Forde (D) 6.0 10,107 Submit photo John Graham (Independent) 2.3 3,817 Kia Hamadanchy (D) 1.9 3,212 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Total votes: 167,957 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. Withdrawn or disqualified candidates Greg Ramsay (D) Eric Rywalski (D) Ron Varasteh (D)

Issue positions (campaign themes)

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses See also: Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Katie Porter completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Porter’s responses. Expand all | Collapse all 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. Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate’s campaign requests it. Campaign website Porter’s campaign website stated the following: PRIORITIES DEFENDING 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 Medic

2024 — Regular election

Katie Porter did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2024 — Special election

Katie Porter did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Katie Porter did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Katie Porter did not complete Ballotpedia’s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2018

Katie Porter completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2018. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Porter’s responses. Expand all | Collapse all What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? As a Consumer Protection Attorney, I have spent nearly twenty years fighting powerful interests and Wall Street banks on behalf of consumers and families. I am a national leader in consumer protection and has won big victories against financial institutions who cheat consumers. Before the housing bubble burst, I was one of the first to sound the alarm about Wall Street’s predatory practices targeting homeowners, winning recognition from the New York Times and many others. In 2012, then California Attorney General Kamala Harris appointed me to be California’s watchdog against the banks. The banks had promised to pay billions to homeowners they cheated, and Harris appointed me to make sure the banks followed through. My team and I held the banks’ feet to the fire, securing over $18 billion and helping tens of thousands of families move forward with their lives. As an advocate, I have sought reforms that help families get a fair shake in our economy. I have been a key player in the fight against abusive credit card fees and, in 2010, helped pass important federal credit card protections for families. I have written three books that document how Washington special interests skew our laws and cut off the legal rights of families who play by the rules. In Congress, I will fight for Orange County families 100% of the time.I believe that Orange County deserves a Congresswoman who fights for families, and stands up to Donald Trump and powerful special interests including Wall Street, Big Pharma, and Big Oil. Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate’s campaign requests it. Note: Porter submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on October 30, 2018. Show past responses Hide past responses October 24 submission What would be your top three priorities, if elected? Ending Citizens United and the culture of corruption in Washington are top priorities, which is why I’m proud to have led a coalition of over 100 House candidates and Members calling on Congress to make campaign finance reform the very first agenda item for the next Congress. The bill would reform the role of money in politics to ensure more transparency and accountability in our elections. We have to restore trust in our government and I will fight to protect the integrity of our Democracy. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? As a Consumer Protection Attorney, I have spent nearly twenty years fighting powerful interests and Wall Street banks on behalf of consumers and families. I am a national leader in consumer protection and has won big victories against financial institutions who cheat consumers. Before the housing bubble burst, I was one of the first to sound the alarm about Wall Street’s predatory practices targeting homeowners, winning recognition from the New York Times and many others. In 2012, then California Attorney General Kamala Harris appointed me to be California’s watchdog against the banks. The banks had promised to pay billions to homeowners they cheated, and Harris appointed me to make sure the banks followed through. My team and I held the banks’ feet to the fire, securing over $18 billion and helping tens of thousands of families move forward with their lives. As an advocate, I have sought reforms that help families get a fair shake in our economy. I have been a key player in the fight against abusive credit card fees and, in 2010, helped pass important federal credit card protections for families. I have written three books that document how Washington special interests skew our laws and cut off the legal rights of families who play by the rules. In Congress, I will fight for Orange County families 100% of the time.I believe that Orange County deserves a Congresswoman who fights for families, and stands up to Donald Trump and powerful special interests including Wall Street, Big Pharma, and Big Oil. Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate’s campaign requests it. Note: Porter submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on October 24, 2018.

Key votes

Key votes

See also: Key votes Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here .

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, and ended on January 3, 2025. At the start of the session, Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress’ top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025 Vote Bill and description Status Nay National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report. [29] Passed (310-118) [30] Nay To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes. H.R. 185 (To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to nullify a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order restricting the entry of foreign citizens to the United States unless the individual was vaccinated against the coronavirus or attested they would take public health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [31] Passed (227-201) [32] Nay Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to raise the federal debt limit before a June 5, 2023, deadline. The bill also sought to repeal certain green energy tax credits, increase domestic natural gas and oil production, expand work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, and nullify President Joe Biden ‘s (D) proposed student loan debt cancellation program. This bill was not taken up in the Senate, and the debt limit was instead raised through the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 . This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [33] Passed (217-215) [34] Nay Denouncing the horrors of socialism. H.Con.Res. 9 (Denouncing the horrors of socialism.) was a resolution approved by the House of Representatives denouncing socialism and opposing the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. [35] Passed (328-86) [36] Nay Lower Energy Costs Act The Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to increase domestic energy production and exports by increasing the production of oil, natural gas, and coal, reducing permitting restrictions for pipelines, refineries, and other energy projects, and increase the production of minerals used in electronics, among other energy production-related policies. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [37] Passed (225-204) [38] Nay Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights”. H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights”.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden’s first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. [39] Click here to read more. Passed (219-200) [40] Nay Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020. H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency , which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. [41] Click here to read more. Passed (229-197) [42] Nay Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [43] Click here to read more. Passed (314-117) [44] Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) Speaker of the House election (January 2023) - 15th vote In Januar

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click “show” to expand or “hide” to contract)

Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023

The 117th United States Congress began on January 3, 2021 and ended on January 3, 2023. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-213), and the U.S. Senate had a 50-50 makeup. Democrats assumed control of the Senate on January 20, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris (D), who acted as a tie-breaking vote in the chamber, assumed office. We identified the key votes below using Congress’ top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 117th Congress, 2021-2023 Vote Bill and description Status Yea Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) was a federal infrastructure bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on November 15, 2021. Among other provisions, the bill provided funding for new infrastructure projects and reauthorizations, Amtrak maintenance and development, bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and clean energy transmission and power infrastructure upgrades. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [73] Click here to read more. Passed (228-206) Yea American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 11, 2021, to provide economic relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Key features of the bill included funding for a national vaccination program and response, funding to safely reopen schools, distribution of $1,400 per person in relief payments, and extended unemployment benefits. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [74] Click here to read more. Passed (220-210) Yea Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 16, 2022, to address climate change, healthcare costs, and tax enforcement. Key features of the bill included a $369 billion investment to address energy security and climate change, an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, allowing Medicare to negotiate certain drug prices, a 15% corporate minimum tax, a 1% stock buyback fee, and enhanced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement, and an estimated $300 billion deficit reduction from 2022-2031. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [75] Click here to read more. Passed (220-207) Yea Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (H.R. 3617) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to decriminalize marijuana, establish studies of legal marijuana sales, tax marijuana imports and production, and establish a process to expunge and review federal marijuana offenses. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [76] Passed (220-204) Yea For the People Act of 2021 The For the People Act of 2021 (H.R. 1) was a federal election law and government ethics bill approved by the House of Representatives. The Congressional Research Service said the bill would “expand voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It [would also limit] removing voters from voter rolls. … Further, the bill [would address] campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.” The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [77] Click here to read more. Passed (220-210) Yea Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 The Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives that sought to criminalize the knowing import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding devices (LCAFD). The bill made exemptions for grandfathered SAWs and LCAFDs. It required a simple majority vote in the House. [78] Passed (217-213) Nay National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (S. 1605) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 27, 2021, authorizing Department of Defense acitivities and programs for fiscal year 2022. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [79] Passed (363-70) Nay James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7776) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 23, 2022, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2023. The bill required a 2/3 majority in the House to suspend rules and pass the bill as amended. [80] Passed (350-80) Yea American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 The American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6) was an immigration bill approved by the House of Representatives that proposed a path to permanent residence status for unauthorized immigrants eligible for Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure, among other immigration-related proposals. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [81] Passed (228-197) Yea Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) was a bill passed by the 117th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on August 10, 2022, that sought to address health

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021

The 116th United States Congress began on January 9, 2019, and ended on January 3, 2021. At the start of the session, Democrats held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (235-200), and Republicans held the majority in the U.S. Senate (53-47). Donald Trump (R) was the president and Mike Pence (R) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress’ top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia. Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2021 Vote Bill and description Status Yea Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020 The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2020 (H.R. 1044) was a bill passed by the House of Representatives seeking to increase the cap on employment-based visas, establish certain rules governing such visas, and impose some additional requirements on employers hiring holders of such visas. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended. [96] Passed (365-65) Yea The Heroes Act The HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to address the COVID-19 outbreak by providing $1,200 payments to individuals, extending and expanding the moratorium on some evictions and foreclosures, outlining requirements and establishing finding for contact tracing and COVID-19 testing, providing emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies for fiscal year 2020, and eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatments. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [97] Passed (208-199) Yea For the People Act of 2019 The For the People Act of 2019 (H.R.1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to protect election security, revise rules on campaign funding, introduce new provisions related to ethics, establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions, and establish new rules on the release of tax returns for presidential and vice presidential candidates. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [98] Passed (234-193) Yea CARES Act The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 27, 2020, that expanded benefits through the joint federal-state unemployment insurance program during the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation also included $1,200 payments to certain individuals, funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and funds for businesses, hospitals, and state and local governments. This bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House. [99] Passed (419-6) Yea Equality Act The Equality Act (H.R. 5) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to ban discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity by expanding the definition of establishments that fall under public accomodation and prohibiting the denial of access to a shared facility that is in agreement with an indiviual’s gender indenitity. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [100] Passed (236-173) Yea Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 (H.R. 8) was a bill approved by the House that sought to ban firearm transfers between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [101] Passed (240-190) Yea American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R.6) was a bill approved by the House Representatives that sought to protect certain immigrants from removal proceedings and provide a path to permanent resident status by establishing streamlined procedures for permanant residency and canceling removal proceedings against certain qualifed individuals. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [102] Passed (237-187) Yea National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on December 20, 2019, setting policies and appropriations for the Department of Defense. Key features of this bill include appropriations for research/development, procurement, military construction, and operation/maintenence, as well as policies for paid family leave, North Korea nuclear sanctions, limiting the use of criminal history in federal hiring and contracting, military housing privatization, and paid family leave for federal personnel. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House. [103] Passed (377-48) Yea Families First Coronavirus Response Act The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) was a bill passed by the 116th Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump (R) on March 18, 2020, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to unemployment benefits and food assistance, increasing funding for Medicaid, providing free testing for COVID-19, and requiring employers to provide paid sick time to employees who cannot work due to COVID-19. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House. [104] Passed (363-40) Yea Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (H.R. 1994) was a bill passed by the House Representatives that sought to change the requirements for employer provided retirement plans, IRAs, and other tax-favored savings accounts by modfying the requirements for things such as loans, lifetime income options, required minimum distributions, the eligibility rules for certain long-term, part-time employees, and nondiscrimination rules. The bill also sought to treat taxable non-tuition fellowship and stipend payments as compensation for the purpose of an IRA, repeal the maximum age for tradi

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2023-2024 Porter was assigned to the following committees: [Source] Committee on Natural Resources Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs 2021-2022 Porter was assigned to the following committees: [Source] Committee on Natural Resources Energy and Mineral Resources National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Oversight and Investigations , Chair Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Economic and Consumer Policy Government Operations

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia’s coverage scope . Notable candidate endorsements by Katie Porter Endorsee Election Stage Outcome Betty Martinez Franco source (Nonpartisan) Irvine City Council District 5 (2025) Won General Ayn Craciun source (Nonpartisan) Irvine City Council District 4 (2024) General Lost General Kamala D. Harris source (D, Working Families Party) President of the United States (2024) Primary Lost General Joe Kerr source (D) U.S. House California District 40 (2024) Primary Lost General Dave Min source (D) U.S. House California District 47 (2024) Primary Won General Adam Schiff source (D) U.S. Senate California (2024) General Won General John Quaye Quartey source (D) U.S. House California District 27 (2022) Primary Lost Primary Jessica Cisneros source (D) U.S. House Texas District 28 (2022) Primary, Primary Runoff Lost Primary Runoff Mandela Barnes source (D) U.S. Senate Wisconsin (2022) Primary Lost General Elizabeth Warren source President of the United States (2020) Withdrew in Convention Notable ballot measure endorsements by Katie Porter Measure Position Outcome California One-Time Wealth Tax for State-Funded Healthcare, Education, and Food Assistance Programs Initiative (2026) source Oppose Signatures submitted California Proposition 50, Use of Legislative Congressional Redistricting Map Amendment (2025) source Support Approved California Second Mortgage Homebuyer Program and Revenue Bond Initiative (2026) source Support Qualified for the ballot San Francisco, California, Measure D, Changes to Top Executive Pay Tax Initiative (June 2026) source Support On the ballot California Proposition 16, Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment (2020) source Support Defeated

Enrichment source: Ballotpedia — https://ballotpedia.org/Katie_Porter

Sources

• CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide
• Ballotpedia (enrichment, when available)