Katie Porter, a former Democratic representative, has decided to run for the position of California governor.  She is not the only one in the race.  She is competing against a bunch of other Democrats.  These include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former state Controller Betty Yee, former state legislative leader Tony Atkins, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and businessman Stephen Cloobeck.  Gavin Newsom is term-limited.

Porter is known for her strong questioning skills.  She used to be a member of Congress.  She often used a whiteboard to make her points during hearings.  She is a progressive and a former student of Sen. Elizabeth Warren.  She is also a law professor now.  She flipped a Republican-held district in Southern California in 2018 and held the seat for three terms before her Senate campaign last year.  She finished third with 15% of the vote in the state’s top-two primary, behind the winner, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey.

Porter's campaign is off to a strong start.  An internal poll shows she is popular among likely Democratic and independent voters.  She is ahead of the other Democrats and better known than the other contenders.  Her high name recognition comes after she spent a whopping $31 million on the Senate primary last year.  The survey tested the Democratic candidates along with potential contender Xavier Becerra, the former health and human services secretary and congressman, but it did not include Harris.

Porter's campaign could be affected by the decision of former Vice President Kamala Harris.  Harris, also a former California senator and state attorney general, will decide whether to run for governor by the end of the summer.  Harris is also weighing a possible presidential run in 2028, and the source said she is “keeping all options open. ”  Porter has said that if Harris decides to run, she would back her.  But while Harris weighs her options, Porter is launching her own campaign for governor.  Porter had acknowledged that Harris’ entry into the race could cause other candidates to drop out.

The race for governor is heating up.  Candidates from all parties compete on the same ballot in California's primary, which is set for June 2, 2026.  The top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.  Democrats would be favored to hold on to the governorship in the deep blue state.  Harris carried California by 20 points in November, winning more than 58% of the vote.

Katie Porter Joins the Race for California Governor

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