Katie Porter

Katie Porter
Born	Katherine Moore Porter 3 1, 1974
Birthplace	Fort Dodge, Iowa, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, lawyer, law professor
Known for	Use of whiteboards during congressional hearings; consumer protection advocacy
Education	Yale University (BA) Harvard Law School (JD)
Children	3
Website	[[katieporter.com katieporter.com] Official site]

Katherine Moore Porter (born January 3, 1974) is an American politician, lawyer, and law professor who served as the U.S. representative from California from 2019 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Porter represented California's 45th congressional district from 2019 to 2023 and, following redistricting, California's 47th congressional district from 2023 to 2025. Before entering politics, Porter was a law professor specializing in consumer protection, bankruptcy, and commercial law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of Iowa College of Law. A protégée of Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was her professor at Harvard Law School, Porter built a career in legal academia before winning election to Congress in 2018 as part of a broader Democratic wave in traditionally Republican Orange County, California. In the House of Representatives, she served as deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and became widely known for her incisive questioning of corporate executives and government officials during congressional hearings, frequently employing whiteboards and other visual aids to illustrate complex policy points. In 2023, Porter announced her candidacy for the United States Senate but was eliminated in the nonpartisan primary. She is a candidate for Governor of California in the 2026 election.

Early Life

Katherine Moore Porter was born on January 3, 1974, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. She grew up in Iowa, where she was raised on a farm. Porter's upbringing in a rural Midwestern community informed her later interest in economic issues affecting working families and consumers.

Porter attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, graduating in 1992. Her time at the preparatory school preceded her undergraduate studies at Yale University.

Porter has publicly discussed her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse, which she has said influenced her approach to public policy and her decision to enter politics. In a 2018 interview with HuffPost, Porter spoke about having survived domestic violence, making her one of the relatively few congressional candidates at the time to discuss such personal experiences openly during a campaign.

Education

Porter earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University. She then attended Harvard Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree. At Harvard, Porter studied under Professor Elizabeth Warren, who later became a U.S. senator from Massachusetts. Warren became a significant mentor to Porter, and the two maintained a professional relationship centered on consumer protection and bankruptcy law for years afterward. Porter's academic training at both Yale and Harvard shaped her career trajectory in legal scholarship and eventually in politics.

Career

Legal Academia

Following her graduation from Harvard Law School, Porter pursued a career in legal academia focused on consumer protection, bankruptcy, and commercial law. She held faculty positions at several law schools before entering politics.

Porter served on the faculty of the University of Iowa College of Law, where she was a visiting professor and taught courses related to commercial and consumer law. She also taught at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Porter joined the faculty of the University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law), where she became a tenured professor specializing in bankruptcy, commercial law, and consumer credit and finance. At UCI Law, she built a reputation as a leading scholar in the field of consumer financial protection. Her academic publications included work on mortgage servicing, consumer bankruptcy, and the regulation of financial institutions. She co-authored legal textbooks on consumer law, including a casebook published by Aspen Law School.

Porter also contributed to academic legal journals, including the Washington University Law Review. Her scholarly work often focused on empirical studies of how the legal system affects consumers, particularly those facing financial distress.

During the California mortgage and foreclosure crisis, Porter served as the state's independent monitor of banks under a settlement with major financial institutions. This role provided her with firsthand experience in overseeing financial industry practices and would later inform her congressional oversight work.

2018 Congressional Campaign

In April 2017, Porter announced her candidacy for California's 45th congressional district, challenging incumbent Republican Representative Mimi Walters. The 45th district, located in Orange County, had been a Republican stronghold, but shifting demographics and voter dissatisfaction with the national Republican Party created an opening for Democratic candidates.

The 2018 midterm elections saw a significant Democratic wave across Orange County, where several long-held Republican seats flipped. Porter's campaign focused on health care, economic fairness, and accountability in government. She received support from progressive organizations and drew on her academic expertise in consumer protection and financial regulation to appeal to voters concerned about economic issues.

Porter defeated Walters in November 2018, becoming the first Democrat to represent the 45th district. Her victory was part of a broader Democratic sweep of Orange County congressional seats. As a former Iowa resident who had relocated to California for her academic career, Porter was also noted as an example of how changing migration patterns were reshaping the political landscape of traditionally conservative areas.

Upon her election, Porter indicated that campaign finance reform and voting rights would be among her legislative priorities. She also expressed her support for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.

U.S. House of Representatives (2019–2025)

Porter was sworn in on January 3, 2019, and served three consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing California's 45th district from 2019 to 2023 and the 47th district from 2023 to 2025 following redistricting.

In the House, Porter served as deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, aligning herself with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. She was assigned to several committees over the course of her tenure, including the Committee on Financial Services, where her academic background in consumer law and financial regulation was directly relevant.

Porter gained significant national attention for her conduct during congressional hearings, where she employed whiteboards, posterboards, and other visual aids to present data and illustrate complex financial and policy concepts. Her questioning style—direct, data-driven, and methodical—became a hallmark of her tenure and frequently went viral on social media. Notable exchanges included her questioning of bank CEOs, pharmaceutical executives, and government officials, during which she pressed witnesses on issues such as executive compensation, drug pricing, and financial industry practices.

Her approach to hearings drew comparisons to courtroom cross-examination and earned her a reputation as one of the most effective questioners in Congress. The use of whiteboards in particular became closely associated with her public identity, and she frequently referenced them in her public communications and campaign materials.

During her time in Congress, Porter focused on issues related to consumer protection, health care costs, corporate accountability, and government transparency. She supported efforts to lower prescription drug prices, strengthen oversight of financial institutions, and address economic inequality.

Porter was reelected in 2020 and again in 2022, when she won in the redrawn 47th congressional district. Her predecessor in the 45th district was Mimi Walters, and her successor in the 47th district was Dave Min, who won the seat after Porter chose not to seek reelection in 2024.

2024 U.S. Senate Campaign

In January 2023, Porter announced her candidacy for the United States Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Senator Dianne Feinstein. By entering the Senate race, Porter chose to forgo seeking reelection to the House.

Under California's nonpartisan primary system, all candidates appeared on the same ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election regardless of party affiliation. Porter competed against a field that included U.S. Representative Adam Schiff and former baseball player Steve Garvey, among others. Schiff and Garvey finished in the top two positions, and Porter was eliminated in the primary.

After her defeat, Porter stated that the election had been "rigged by billionaires," a remark that drew criticism from both political opponents and some commentators who viewed the statement as undermining confidence in the electoral process.

2026 California Gubernatorial Campaign

Following the conclusion of her congressional service on January 3, 2025, Porter announced her candidacy for Governor of California in the 2026 election. The race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited, has drawn a crowded field of Democratic candidates.

In February 2026, Senator Elizabeth Warren endorsed Porter's gubernatorial candidacy, describing Porter as her protégée and former law student. The endorsement was seen as a significant boost from a national progressive figure.

Porter's gubernatorial campaign has attracted attention for its combative tone. At the California Democratic Party's 2026 state convention in February 2026, Porter appeared on stage and held up a sign reading "F--- TRUMP," an act that generated extensive media coverage and mixed reactions. The convention itself highlighted divisions within the California Democratic Party about the direction of the gubernatorial race.

Reports have indicated that Porter's campaign has faced challenges, including scrutiny following leaked videos reported in the media.

Personal Life

Porter is the mother of three children. She has spoken publicly about her experience as a single mother while serving in Congress, and the challenges of balancing parenting with the demands of public service. She has also been open about her experience as a survivor of domestic violence, a subject she first discussed publicly during her 2018 congressional campaign.

Porter resides in Irvine, California, where she had been based since joining the faculty of UCI Law. Her roots in Iowa remained a part of her public identity, and she frequently referenced her Midwestern upbringing in her political campaigns and public appearances.

Recognition

Porter received significant media attention during her tenure in Congress, particularly for her questioning style during committee hearings. Her use of whiteboards to break down complex financial data became one of the most recognizable features of any member of Congress during her time in office. Video clips of her hearing exchanges regularly accumulated millions of views on social media platforms, extending her influence beyond her congressional district.

Her background as a consumer protection scholar and law professor distinguished her among members of Congress and lent credibility to her oversight work, particularly on the Financial Services Committee. She was frequently cited by media outlets as an example of how academic expertise could be applied in a legislative setting.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, Porter's former law school professor and longtime mentor, has described Porter as a leading voice on consumer protection issues. Warren's 2026 endorsement of Porter's gubernatorial campaign reflected their continued professional relationship spanning more than two decades.

Yale University highlighted Porter as one of several alumni women running for office in the 2018 election cycle, noting her academic credentials and professional background.