CA-GOV: Katie Porter camp rallies allies to her defense

[RandySF]

SACRAMENTO, California — Katie Porter’s campaign for California governor is rallying supporters to defend her after a pair of viral videos plunged her into a tailspin this week, fueling bipartisan criticism of her temperament and judgment.

More than half a dozen groups and officials close to the former House member issued statements of support, framing Porter as a “fighter” who can take on the “status quo.” The defense came after POLITICO surfaced a video of Porter berating a staffer in 2021 and a separate clip went viral of Porter threatening to walk out of a television interview.

“In this critical moment in our country, we don’t need polite, go along to get along, establishment politicians that keep getting run over by the opposition — we need strong leaders like Katie Porter that are willing to call it like it is and stand up and fight for everyday Californians,” Peter Finn and Chris Griswold, co-chairs of Teamsters California, said in the statement. The group endorsed her earlier this year.

The statement was one of several compiled by Porter’s campaign, an effort by her allies to contain the fallout from a week that has badly damaged Porter’s frontrunner status.




https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/09/katie-porter-camp-rallies-allies-to-her-defense-00601500

[tinrobot]

3. As a Californian, I'm not that impressed. She's not ready to be governor.

She lost it in front of a second-tier CBS reporter with a very predictable question. I mean, if she can't handle something as basic as that, how is she going to handle the fourth largest world economy when crisis hits?

California has a very deep bench, there's better candidates.

[moonscape]

7. As a fellow Californian I agree.

[skylucy]

8. I agree. It is important that we nominate a Dem candidate who can win. I'm not

that impressed with Porter either.

[Cha]

12. She was Not cool when she Lost

the Primary to Sen Adam Schiff, either.

[RandySF]

5. She accused Adam Schiff of rigging the senate primary in 2024.

[Fiendish Thingy]

6. He kind of did

He helped boost the republican candidate, so he wouldn’t have to run against Porter in the general.

[Nixie]

29. She reveals her phony "rigging" accusations against Schiff by

stating clearly in this interview that she didn’t need to worry about the 40% of Trump Republicans. Then Schiff didn’t need them, either, and she obviously knew that but chose to attack Schiff anyway.

Garvey was popular statewide as a well-known professional baseball player and would have had crossover appeal because of that, so Schiff was right in targeting his true competition, the popular ex baseball player.

Porter never led in the polls.
Porter later apologized for her phony accusations —“rigged.”

Let’s hope that Porter doesn’t resort to accusing her Latino opponents of being corrupt because of their campaign contributors. That would be very sad for our state.

[Zorro]

2. I'm becoming less enthralled with her

She was a bit too vicious going after Schiff in the 2024 Dem primary, and now this.

[33taw]

28. Did you consider Schiff's tactics vicious?

[awesomerwb1]

4. A total "meh" for me

[SSJVegeta]

9. ...

[Renew Deal]

10. It was a bad moment for her.

The best example of a Democrat handling reporters is Obama. He would answer any question. She’s fine as legislator, but the executive branch is not for her.

[uponit7771]

21. "moment" doesn't mean pattern, not sure voters will latch on to pushed narrative

[themaguffin]

30. Unfortunately, there is a pattern. I hate to see it.

[uponit7771]

32. I'd give her more than a couple of chances, she's worth it. Just as long as she's an a-hole for the middle class ...

... I can deal with the rest.

[Abolishinist]

11. Several years ago we attended a private fundraiser for her

a block down the street from our house, around 60 or so attendees. I forget, but it was either $600 or $900 for the two of us.

After her speech, I was able to get a brief one-on-one with her, and asked her about the minimum wage, how it differed from state to state, and why should a state such as Texas, where the cost of living is much less, should have the same minimum wage as California.

Her response to me was essentially that I'm dumb, stupid, ignorant, and how dare me ask such a question of such a genius. I've not cared for her since, to say the least.

[Cha]

13. Not too smart verbally attacking

a potential Constituent at her Fundraiser.

Btw.. good question.

[UTUSN]

14. Fun fact: KRASNOV has been attacking entire blocs of voters since 2015 - oh but he's not smart, never mind!

[Cha]

15. Yes, I know... Traitor is a

cult god.. not everyone can get away with the Shit he does(so far).

[betsuni]

18. You failed the Minimum Wage Purity Test and became status quo establishment, enemy of the revolution.

[Nixie]

31. Thanks for sharing this. It certainly tracks with various leaks

that started coming out about her demeanor in various settings, not just against Republicans.

Her text arguments with the Irvine mayor were leaked online and then other leaks about how she treats her own staff were leaked and it started becoming clear that she has problems.

[betsuni]

16. Staffers, TV interviewers, polite Democratic politicians, doing their jobs, working, are the status quo establishment?

Standing up to, calling it like it is, fighting, taking on ...

[DFW]

19. It's an easy trigger to pull

If you disagree with me, it’s because you support the “establishment” and you like “corporatists,” whatever they are.

It’s like when the radical right calls us all “liberals.” Ask 100 Republicans what “liberal” means, and you’ll get 100 different answers, and even more if you ask some of them twice, because half of them won’t remember what they told you the first time.

[Raine]

17. I'm done with her

she doesn't have the self-control and temperament for the tough job of Governor especially at this time in our state.

[uponit7771]

20. Shes still till better than alternatives human flaws and all.

[RandySF]

22. As a Californian, I disagree.

[SocialDemocrat61]

23. To be fair to Porter

The reporter was asking a gotcha question and refused to relent when Porter answered and kept repeating the question.

[Midwestern Democrat]

24. I've lived long enough to see many cases where a political candidate or some other famous person messes up and the

immediate narrative at that moment is "The Sky is Falling!"; "It's over for Him/Her!" - and then time moves on, and it's forgotten or no longer matters. I don't think this is the end of Katie Porter's campaign - but she can't make a pattern of doing stuff like this.

[Ars Longa]

25. I didn't like when she endorsed Nina Turner over Shontel Brown in Ohio a few years back--

that for me, was very Eye-Opening- and became very Arms-Length with her..

[True Dough]

26. For those who missed the interview

here it is:

Porter comes across as waaaay too controlling. Can't imagine someone like Pete Buttigieg responding this way.

[Justice Brandeis]

27. She has a track record of being abusive to staffers

It's more than a one time thing. This has been happening over and over again for years.

Of course, anybody who points that out gets shouted down as being "sexist".

That Trump does it too does not make it ok.

I care about winning elections. Not political correctness.

[Borogove]

33. Just what we don't need - another arrogant and condescending politician.