Katherine Moore Porter is an American politician and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for California's 45th and 47th congressional districts. Elected in 2018 as part of a Democratic wave in Orange County, she flipped the 45th district. She was re-elected in 2022 in the redistricted 47th district. Porter launched a 2023 bid for the U.S. Senate but lost in the nonpartisan primary to Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey.
1953: Creation of Katie Porter's Congressional District
Katie Porter's congressional district, or its predecessors, were created in 1953.
January 3, 1974: Birth of Katie Porter
Katie Porter was born on January 3, 1974.
1985: Last Non-Hispanic Democrat to Represent Orange County Districts
Jerry M. Patterson was the last non-Hispanic Democrat to represent Orange County-based districts before leaving office in 1985.
1996: Katie Porter's Graduation from Yale University
Katie Porter graduated from Yale University in 1996 with a degree in American studies. Her thesis focused on the effects of corporate farming on rural communities.
2001: Katie Porter's Graduation from Harvard Law School
Katie Porter graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor degree in 2001, having served as the notes editor for the Harvard Women's Law Journal and a member of the Board of Student Advisers.
2003: Katie Porter Marries Matthew Hoffman
In 2003, Katie Porter married Matthew Hoffman. The couple went on to have three children together.
2010: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Supreme Court Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case in 2010, a case that Katie Porter later cited as a reason for her legislative priorities of overhauling campaign finance laws and protecting voting rights.
2011: Katie Porter Becomes Full Professor and Joins UC Irvine Law Faculty
In 2011, Katie Porter became a full professor at the University of Iowa College of Law. That same year, she also joined the faculty at the University of California, Irvine School of Law as a tenured professor.
2011: Katie Porter Purchases Discounted Residence on UCI Campus
In 2011, Katie Porter purchased a four-bedroom house on the University of California, Irvine campus for a significantly reduced price of $523,000. This was achieved through the university's staff housing program. The median house price in Irvine at the time was $1,300,000, highlighting the substantial discount Porter received.
March 2012: Katie Porter Appointed as California's Independent Monitor of Banks
In March 2012, California Attorney General Kamala Harris appointed Katie Porter as the state's independent monitor of banks in a nationwide $25 billion mortgage settlement. In this role, she oversaw the implementation of $9.5 billion in settlement reforms for California residents.
2013: Katie Porter and Matthew Hoffman Divorce
Katie Porter filed for divorce from her husband Matthew Hoffman in 2013. The divorce proceedings were marked by conflict, with both individuals seeking anger management support.
2015: Katie Porter Consults for Ocwen
Katie Porter consulted for Ocwen in 2015.
2016: Number of Americans Voting by Mail
In 2016, an unknown number of Americans voted by mail, a figure that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy admitted to not knowing during a congressional hearing in August 2020.
2016: Katie Porter Publishes Textbook on Consumer Law
Katie Porter published her textbook "Modern Consumer Law" in 2016, which analyzed consumer laws in light of the Dodd-Frank Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
2018: Katie Porter Stops Teaching at UCI but Remains in Campus Residence
After her election to Congress in 2018, Katie Porter ceased her teaching duties at the University of California, Irvine, despite initially agreeing to teach in exchange for the discounted housing. The university continued to grant Porter unpaid leave, allowing her to stay in the campus residence despite a long waitlist for the housing program.
2018: Katie Porter's Congressional Election Victory
Katie Porter defeated two-term Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in California's 45th Congressional District in the 2018 elections. Her victory was part of a significant Democratic wave in Orange County, flipping four seats and resulting in Democratic control of all seven seats in the historically Republican County. Notably, she became the first Democrat to represent the 45th district since its creation. Additionally, Porter and Harley Rouda, also elected in 2018, marked the first time non-Hispanic Democrats represented Orange County-based districts since Jerry M. Patterson left office in 1985.
March 2019: Katie Porter Introduces "Help America Run Act"
Katie Porter introduced the "Help America Run Act" (H.R.1623) in March 2019. This bill aimed to allow political candidates for the House or Senate to use campaign contributions for expenses such as healthcare premiums, elder care, child care, and dependent care.
March 2019: Katie Porter Questions Wells Fargo CEO
Katie Porter questioned Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan in March 2019, arguing that his statements contradicted his lawyers' characterization of certain actions as "corporate puffery".
April 2019: Katie Porter Questions JPMorgan Chase CEO
In April 2019, Katie Porter questioned JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon during a congressional hearing.
May 2019: Katie Porter Questions HUD Secretary Ben Carson
Katie Porter questioned Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson in May 2019 regarding "REOs", an acronym for real estate owned properties. During the exchange, Carson appeared to confuse the term with Oreo cookies.
June 2019: Katie Porter Supports Impeachment Inquiry
In June 2019, Katie Porter became one of the first Democrats in a swing district to support an impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, following the conclusion of Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation. She subsequently voted in favor of both the first and second impeachment charges against Trump.
October 2019: "Help America Run Act" Passes the House
The "Help America Run Act", introduced by Katie Porter, passed the House of Representatives in October 2019. However, the Senate did not take up the bill.
2019: Katie Porter's Election to the U.S. House of Representatives
In 2019, Katie Porter was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing California's 45th Congressional District.
March 2020: Katie Porter Secures Commitment for Free COVID-19 Testing
Through her questioning of Robert R. Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in March 2020, Katie Porter secured a commitment from Redfield to make COVID-19 testing free for all Americans.
August 24, 2020: Katie Porter Questions Postmaster General Louis DeJoy
Katie Porter questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy during a congressional hearing on August 24, 2020. During the questioning, DeJoy admitted to not knowing the cost of mailing a postcard or smaller greeting card, the starting rate for U.S. Priority Mail, or the number of Americans who voted by mail in the 2016 elections.
December 2020: Katie Porter Questions Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin
Katie Porter engaged in a contentious exchange with United States Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin during a House hearing in December 2020, focusing on COVID-19 relief funding.
2020: Katie Porter Faces Backlash After Senate Primary Loss
Following her loss in the 2020 Senate primary, Katie Porter faced criticism for claiming the election was "rigged" against her. While she later clarified that her comment referred to the fundraising advantages of her opponents, her initial statement drew backlash for echoing Donald Trump's rhetoric after his 2020 presidential election loss.
2020: Katie Porter Co-Chairs Elizabeth Warren's Presidential Campaign
Katie Porter served as one of three co-chairs for Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign.
January 2021: Katie Porter Leaves Financial Services Committee
Katie Porter was removed from the Financial Services Committee in January 2021 after choosing to serve on the House Natural Resources and House Oversight committees instead.
November 5, 2021: Katie Porter Votes for Infrastructure Bill
Katie Porter voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on November 5, 2021.
June 2022: Katie Porter's Voting Record Aligned with Biden's Positions
As of June 2022, Katie Porter had voted in line with President Joe Biden's stated position 98.2% of the time.
2022: Katie Porter's Re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives
Katie Porter was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022, representing California's 47th Congressional District after redistricting.
2022: Katie Porter's Discounted Housing Arrangement Comes Under Scrutiny
In 2022, the Associated Press reported on Katie Porter's continued occupancy of a significantly discounted residence on the University of California, Irvine campus. While Porter stopped teaching at the university in 2018 after her election to Congress, she remained in the house due to the university's continued approval of unpaid leave. This arrangement drew attention given the long waiting list for the university's housing program.
January 10, 2023: Katie Porter Announces Candidacy for U.S. Senate
On January 10, 2023, Katie Porter announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in California, challenging incumbent Dianne Feinstein. The move was seen as controversial as Feinstein had not yet announced her own intentions for the 2024 election. Despite this, Porter raised over $1 million in the 24 hours following her announcement.
January 2023: Allegations of Abusive Workplace Conduct Against Katie Porter
In January 2023, Politico reported allegations of Katie Porter being an abusive and racist boss. These accusations included claims of racist language and ridicule towards individuals reporting sexual harassment.
April 2023: Katie Porter Responds to Workplace Abuse Allegations
Following allegations of creating a toxic workplace environment, eight former employees shared their experiences working for Katie Porter in an interview with The Washington Post. The staffers described her as domineering and provided examples of mistreatment, including instances where she allegedly berated staff members to the point of tears. In response to these accusations, Porter defended herself during an appearance on "The View" in April 2023, drawing comparisons to the discrimination faced by women of color.
2023: Katie Porter's Senate Campaign and Failed Re-election Bid
In 2023, Katie Porter announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate, choosing not to seek re-election to the House. She was defeated in the nonpartisan primary, losing to Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey.
2023: Katie Porter Votes Against Fiscal Responsibility Act
Katie Porter was among the 46 House Democrats who voted against the final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
2024: Katie Porter Addresses Housing Crisis During Senate Campaign
During her 2024 Senate campaign, Katie Porter attributed the housing crisis to "Wall Street" and advocated for federal government investment in housing as a solution to California's housing crisis. She specifically supported increased funding for Section 8 vouchers and an expansion of the low-income housing tax credit.
2024: Katie Porter Calls for Decommissioning Diablo Canyon Power Plant
During her unsuccessful 2024 Senate campaign, Katie Porter called for the decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.
January 2025: Katie Porter Leaves Congress
Katie Porter's tenure in Congress ended in January 2025 after her loss in the U.S. Senate primary. As she did not seek re-election for her House seat, her defeat in the Senate primary ensured her departure from Congress.