Rep. Katie Porter isn’t waiting for a retirement announcement from US Senator Dianne Feinstein and has launched a candidacy for US Senate. Here is her email blast sent this morning:
I want you to hear it from me first: I’m running for the U.S. Senate.
More on the “why” and the “how” below, but first I want to ask if you’ll be a Founding Donor to our campaign. Reporting a strong early fundraising number will show the strength of our movement, and I want you on our team.
Why I’m running
I don’t look, live, or talk like most Members of Congress. Instead of attending swanky fundraisers with corporate lobbyists, I’m one of a dozen Members of Congress who rejects all contributions from corporate PACs and federal lobbyists. I’m leading the fight to ban congressional stock trading and was the *only* Democrat to oppose earmarks (which are a way of funding Members’ pet projects). I’m a single mom of three school-aged kids who drives a minivan and uses a whiteboard to break down the math behind corruption and greed. I’ve spent my career—both before and after being elected to the House—taking on special interests and delivering for working people, and I’m running for the Senate because Californians deserve a warrior fighting for them in Washington.
How this is going to work
This isn’t going to be an easy race, but I wouldn’t be asking for your support if I didn’t know we have what it takes to win. But the reality is, reaching voters in our large and populous state requires serious resources. Because California has a unique system where the top two vote getters in the primary (regardless of party) advance to the general, there are so many unknowns in this race. Building a robust campaign that reaches Californians from all walks of life will be key to our long-term success.
My pitch: Become a Founding Donor
Winning this race will only be possible because of grassroots supporters. This isn’t BS—contributions of $10 or $20 are the only reason I was able to win three competitive House races and compete with nearly ten million dollars in Republican super PAC spending this past year—that’s remarkable, and I’m so grateful. But now we need to reach even more voters and run an even larger campaign, and we’ll be up against even more spending from our opponents. Contributing right now will help us kickstart this campaign.
A 2024 us senate poll was sent out by Democrats.com yesterday, and Rep. Adam Schiff led the pack with 65.8% and Katie Porter coming in second with 38.8%. You could vote for as many candidates as you wanted.
A Porter Senate bid opens the door for former Congressman Harley Rouda to seek this largely coastal seat giving Democrats a very strong candidate to keep this part of OC blue.
Here’s a copy of the press release:
“CALIFORNIA NEEDS A WARRIOR IN WASHINGTON:” CONGRESSWOMAN KATIE PORTER LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR U.S. SENATE
Having gained national recognition for taking on powerful special interests and CEOs who abuse the public trust, Porter now aims to take that fight to the Senate
Porter has led efforts to clean up Congress, ban lobbyist and corporate PAC money, and stop Members of Congress from trading stocks
Porter: “I don’t do Congress the way others often do. I use whatever power I have to speak hard truths to the power that be.”
Her campaign also released a poll showing she leads by double digits in a likely top-two general election contest
CALIFORNIA—Congresswoman Katie Porter—who has earned national recognition for taking on powerful special interests in Washington—announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in a video message to Californians this morning.
WATCH IT HERE: https://youtu.be/fO-SSJjTOww
“The threat from so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell has too often made the United States Senate the place where rights get revoked, special interests get rewarded, and our democracy gets rigged,” Porter said in the video. “Especially in times like these, California needs a warrior in Washington, and that’s exactly why I’m announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024.”
In Congress, Porter has held Wall Street CEOs, pharmaceutical executives, Big Oil companies, and Trump cabinet officials accountable for cheating Californians and lying to the American public.
Before her two terms in Congress, Porter spent her career as a consumer advocate and housing expert—fighting for families and taking on Wall Street banks who tried to foreclose on families during the 2008 mortgage crisis.
She is one of the few Members of Congress who doesn’t take federal lobbyist contributions and corporate PAC checks. She has never taken a cent from Big Oil PACs, pharmaceutical companies, and other special interests. She was the only member of her own party to oppose bringing back earmarks—a way of funding member’s pet projects.
“I don’t do Congress the way others often do. I use whatever power I have to speak hard truths to the power that be—to not just challenge the status-quo, but call it out, name names, and demand justice,” Porter said. “That goes for taking on Wall Street and the big banks, Big Oil, and Big Pharma. It’s why I refuse to accept corporate PAC and federal lobbyist campaign money. I don’t want it. And I’m leading the fight to ban Congressional stock trading, because it’s just wrong. To win these fights, it’s time for new leadership in the U.S. Senate.”
A prodigious fundraiser, Porter was consistently one of three top House fundraisers during the final months of the 2022 election—behind only Speaker Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy.
Her campaign also released a poll of California voters likely to participate in the 2024 election for U.S. Senate. It shows Porter has a double-digit lead in a likely top-two general election contest if it were held today. In a head-to-head matchup, Porter leads significantly among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. The same survey shows Porter would be the likely top finisher from a June primary contest with other potential Republican and Democratic candidates. The survey was conducted by widely-respected pollster David Binder Research, an alumnus for campaigns of former President Obama, Governor Newsom, and Vice President Harris. You can read the poll memo here.
Learn more at KatiePorter.com.