Democratic Party U.S. Senate candidate, Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., recently expressed her disappointment with the realities of working in the U.S. Congress. During an appearance on “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert, Porter complained that the job is not as glamorous as many Americans might think.
Porter, who lost the open Senate primary in California, took a swipe at Rep. Adam Schiff and special interest groups for their role in the election. She suggested that Schiff’s campaign spent millions “peddling lies” and ultimately boosted the Republican candidate, former baseball player Steve Garvey, on Super Tuesday.
In her concession speech, Porter stated, “We’re standing three to one in TV spending and an onslaught of billionaires who spent millions peddling lies. And our opponents [are] spending more to boost the Republican than promoting his own campaign.” Despite the setback, Porter insisted that she is still standing strong. “Because of you, we have the establishment running scared,” she proclaimed.
Porter, a progressive Democrat who has represented Orange County since 2019, gained popularity through viral moments where she questioned CEOs of big pharmaceutical companies during congressional hearings. She has also positioned herself as a candidate who defies big corporate campaign backing. However, Porter herself has received millions of dollars from big donors to support her campaign, despite her claims of not accepting corporate PAC money. Additionally, she has accepted substantial donations from Wall Street donors, according to federal campaign finance disclosures.
Open Secrets, a nonprofit that tracks political campaigns, reported that Porter received over $50,000 in PAC donations, more than $32,000 from Apple and Google, over $58,000 from the Universities of California San Francisco and Irvine, just under $16,000 from Kaiser Permanente, and over $600,000 from lawyers and law firms.
Porter raised just under $28 million in her Senate campaign, slightly trailing Schiff’s $31 million. Another Democrat, Rep. Barbara Lee, raised $4 million, while Republican Steve Garvey raised just over $2 million. California’s primary system dictates that the top two candidates from the primary election will face off in the general election in November.
In an effort to secure his position, Schiff, a Burbank Democrat and longtime congressman, spent millions of dollars on campaign ads portraying Garvey as a staunch Trump supporter. This strategy was seen as an attempt to eliminate Porter and Lee from the race, thus increasing Schiff’s chances of winning in the heavily Democratic state.
Garvey, despite being considered a long-shot candidate, remains optimistic. During his victory speech, he declared, “They say in the general election we’re going to strike out. That’s from the crowd that believes in the status quo.”
While Schiff is expected to win the general election, both candidates emphasized the importance of democracy and the right to protest. Schiff, whose victory speech was interrupted by protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Palestine conflict, expressed gratitude for living in a democracy that allows for peaceful dissent.
As the Senate campaign in California progresses, it will be interesting to see how the candidates continue to navigate the political landscape.
