Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-CA) has announced a run for the U.S. Senate in 2024 — and she plans to run for a seat that has not yet been vacated by longtime Senator and fellow Democrat Dianne Feinstein, forcing the 89-year-old into a contested primary unless she chooses to retire.
Porter shared her announcement with a video ad on Twitter on Tuesday, along with a caption that read, “California needs a warrior in the Senate—to stand up to special interests, fight the dangerous imbalance in our economy, and hold so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell accountable for rigging our democracy. Today, I’m proud to announce my candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2024.”
California needs a warrior in the Senate—to stand up to special interests, fight the dangerous imbalance in our economy, and hold so-called leaders like Mitch McConnell accountable for rigging our democracy.
Today, I'm proud to announce my candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2024. pic.twitter.com/X1CSE8T12B
— Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) January 10, 2023
Her voice over the campaign video added, “We’re living through a time of extraordinary change … change can be electrifying and exhilarating, but change can also be disruptive — like the constant assault on our democracy and the dangerous imbalance in our economy.”
Porter went on to attack Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) directly, saying that in part because of him, the U.S. Senate was “the place where rights get revoked, special interests get rewarded, and our democracy gets rigged.”
“I work for California—not a political party, and certainly not corporate donors. I refuse money from corporate PACs, federal lobbyists, and executives from Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Wall Street banks,” Porter continued in a second tweet, claiming that her campaign would be entirely funded by grassroots support.
Porter has been in the news lately following reports that she berated a staffer for inadvertently infecting her with COVID. “Well you gave me Covid. In 25 months, it took you not following the rules to get me sick. My children have nobody to care for them,” Porter allegedly told the staffer even after she apologized.
VIBE CHECK: Rep. Katie Porter fires staffer after both test positive for COVID. Full texts from the Congresswoman firing the staffer via text. Shared with permission from staffer. pic.twitter.com/jbhn2NzrmB
— Dear White Staffers (@DWS________) December 29, 2022
Porter raised eyebrows again — during the recent battle to elect a new House Speaker in the now Republican-led chamber — when she was photographed in the gallery reading a book titled “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***.”
Representative Katie Porter reading a book about how to get through this session of Congress pic.twitter.com/N5irYXWxfU
— Alex Plitsas 🇺🇸 (@alexplitsas) January 7, 2023
And as for the seat Porter is targeting, sitting Senator Feinstein has announced that she intends to finish her current term in the Senate and has not yet determined whether or not she plans to run again in 2024.
Feinstein responded to Porter’s announcement with a brief statement, saying that she was preoccupied with the devastating storms that were still ravaging California and would think about the next election at a later date.
“Everyone is of course welcome to throw their hat in the ring, and I will make an announcement concerning my plans for 2024 at the appropriate time. Right now I’m focused on ensuring California has all the resources it needs to cope with the devastating storms slamming the state and leaving more than a dozen dead,” she said.
Feinstein's statement continues: "Right now I’m focused on ensuring California has all the resources it needs to cope with the devastating storms slamming the state and leaving more than a dozen dead."
— Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) January 10, 2023