Katie Porter quits politics after failed California governor bid

Katie Porter is turning the page on politics after a bruising California governor campaign that ended in defeat and revived years of criticism over her treatment of staff.

The former California congresswoman announced Wednesday that she’s stepping away from public life, telling followers on Instagram: “I’m done for now with politics and campaigning.”

Porter, who failed to advance out of California’s recent gubernatorial primary, also revealed she’s rebranding her Instagram account as @katieporterturnsthepage, a nod to her love of books.

The self-described “fast reader” said the account will now focus on reading instead of politics.

The announcement caps a turbulent final chapter for the Democrat, whose gubernatorial campaign was increasingly overshadowed by renewed scrutiny of her temperament and management style.

Porter finished fifth in California’s crowded top-two primary, receiving 403,908 votes, or 4.4% of the vote, according to unofficial California Secretary of State returns.

Under California’s primary system, only the top two finishers advance to the general election, leaving Porter out of the November race despite appearing on a ballot that included 61 candidates.

As her campaign struggled, an unedited 2021 video resurfaced in late 2025 showing Porter berating a staffer who accidentally walked into the background during a virtual meeting with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

“Get out of my f-ing shot!” Porter shouted.

The video quickly went viral and reignited longstanding questions about her treatment of aides.

Porter later publicly and privately apologized for the outburst, addressing it at a Sacramento public forum and again during a televised gubernatorial debate.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

The controversy was followed by another viral moment when Porter grew visibly irritated during an interview with a CBS Sacramento investigative reporter, scolding the journalist and threatening to end the interview because she did not want to have an “unhappy experience.”

Those incidents added fuel to complaints that had followed Porter throughout her time in Congress.

Capitol Hill records consistently showed she had one of the highest staff turnover rates in the House, while leaked 2022 text messages revealed she harshly reprimanded a fellow over concerns the person had exposed her to COVID-19.

Porter represented California in the House from 2019 through 2025 and remains a full-time law professor at UC Irvine, where she first joined the faculty in 2011.

Whether her political retirement is permanent remains an open question.

But after a failed bid for higher office and a series of headline-grabbing controversies, Porter says she’s putting campaigns behind her, at least for now.