‘Controversial’ Ex-Rep., Katie Porter, Enters Race for Governor

Former California Rep. Katie Porter is officially in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, positioning herself as a fierce opponent of former President Donald Trump.

Porter, a Democrat and former bankruptcy law professor, announced her candidacy in a video posted Tuesday on X, where she framed her campaign as a fight against Trump-era policies that she claims are harming Californians.

“I first ran for office to hold Trump accountable. I feel that same call to serve now to stop him from hurting Californians,” said Porter, 51, referencing her 2018 congressional campaign.

She vowed to push back against Trump, citing his threats to withhold federal disaster relief, his stance on climate policies, and his economic impact on working families.

“As governor, I won’t ever back down when Trump hurts Californians—whether he’s holding up disaster relief, attacking our rights and communities, or screwing over working families to benefit himself and his cronies,” she said.

Porter, a single mother of three, also took a swipe at out-of-touch politicians, emphasizing that she “actually knows the price of groceries.”

However, her campaign launch is already stirring controversy, as details from her past resurface—including allegations from her ex-husband, Matthew Hoffman.

In 2023 court filings, Hoffman claimed Porter verbally abused him during their marriage, frequently calling him a “fing idiot” and “fing incompetent.” He also alleged that she once threw a ceramic bowl of steaming-hot mashed potatoes on his head during a heated argument.

According to the filings, Porter mocked him for struggling to follow cooking instructions before dumping the potatoes on him, allegedly burning his scalp. Hoffman also claimed she refused to let him have a cell phone, telling him he was “too f***ing dumb to operate it.”

Porter later sought a restraining order against Hoffman, which was granted along with protective custody of their children.

Despite these personal controversies, Porter’s campaign announcement focused on broader political battles, blaming “dangerous leaders” in Washington for California’s economic struggles.

As she delivered that line in her video, images of Trump, tech mogul Elon Musk, and House Speaker Mike Johnson flashed on screen. She also called out “corrupt enablers” of the Trump agenda, featuring footage of former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Porter’s campaign promises include fighting for economic reforms, climate policies, affordable housing, and healthcare—though she did not outline specific policy proposals.

“I’ll work with anybody, and I’ll say no to anybody, because I have never been for sale—and I never will be,” she said.

Porter joins an increasingly crowded Democratic primary field that includes Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis. There is also speculation that Vice President Kamala Harris may enter the race, with a recent Capitol Weekly poll showing Harris leading by two percentage points.

Porter is coming off a tough political loss after failing to secure a U.S. Senate seat last year. She finished behind Adam Schiff in the Democratic primary, later accusing billionaires of “rigging” the election by spending millions against her campaign.