History of Katie Porter in Timeline

Katherine Moore Porter is an American politician and lawyer. She served as a U.S. Representative for California's 45th congressional district from 2019 to 2025. As a member of the Democratic Party, she's known for her consumer protection advocacy and pointed questioning of corporate executives during congressional hearings. Porter previously taught law at the University of California, Irvine, specializing in bankruptcy law. She gained prominence for her focus on economic inequality and corporate accountability.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1953: District Creation

In 1953, the district was created that Katie Porter won.

January 3, 1974: Katherine Moore Porter Born

On January 3, 1974, Katherine Moore Porter, who later became a U.S. Representative from California, was born.

1996: Graduation from Yale University

In 1996, Katie Porter graduated from Yale University with a major in American studies. Her undergraduate thesis was titled 'The Effects of Corporate Farming on Rural Community'.

2001: Graduation from Harvard Law School

In 2001, Katie Porter graduated magna cum laude with her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where she studied under Elizabeth Warren.

2003: Marriage to Matthew Hoffman

In 2003, Katie Porter married Matthew Hoffman, and together they had three children. This marriage later ended in divorce.

2005: Joined University of Iowa College of Law

In 2005, Katie Porter joined the faculty of the University of Iowa College of Law as an associate professor.

2008: Testified Before House Subcommittee

In 2008, Katie Porter testified before the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit alongside Elizabeth Warren on a proposed Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights.

2011: Became a Full Professor at the University of Iowa and Tenured Professor at UC Irvine

In 2011, Katie Porter became a full professor at the University of Iowa College of Law and also became a tenured professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Law.

2011: Purchase of UC Irvine Residence

In 2011, Katie Porter purchased a four-bedroom residence on the University of California, Irvine campus for $523,000, a below-market price, as part of faculty and staff housing.

March 2012: Appointed Independent Monitor of Banks

In March 2012, Katie Porter was appointed by California Attorney General Kamala Harris to be the state's independent monitor of banks in a $25 billion mortgage settlement.

2013: Divorce Filing and Protective Order

In 2013, Katie Porter filed for divorce from Matthew Hoffman, a contentious process that led to both seeking anger management. She also received a protective order against him.

2015: Consulted for Ocwen

In 2015, Katie Porter consulted for Ocwen.

2016: Hillary Clinton carried the 45th District

In 2016, Hillary Clinton carried the 45th District.

2016: Americans voted by mail

In 2016, Katie Porter questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about how many Americans voted by mail.

2016: Published "Modern Consumer Law"

In 2016, Katie Porter's textbook 'Modern Consumer Law' was published, addressing consumer laws in light of Dodd-Frank and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

April 2017: Announced Candidacy for Congress

In April 2017, Katie Porter announced her candidacy for Congress in California's 45th congressional district.

May 2018: Democrats Confident About Ousting Mimi Walters

In May 2018, Politico reported that Democrats were confident they would oust Mimi Walters, with Katie Porter stating Orange County families were concerned about Donald Trump and that Walters voted with him repeatedly.

June 2018: Advanced to General Election

In June 2018, Katie Porter finished second in the primary election and advanced to the general election.

November 6, 2018: General Election Against Mimi Walters

On November 6, 2018, Katie Porter faced off against Mimi Walters in the general election. Walters initially led, but Porter gained votes as more ballots were counted.

November 15, 2018: Associated Press Called Race for Porter

On November 15, 2018, the Associated Press called the race for Katie Porter, marking the first Democratic victory in the district since its 1953 creation.

2018: End of Teaching and Leave of Absence

In 2018, after being elected, Katie Porter stopped teaching at UC Irvine. The university granted her no-pay leave, allowing her to maintain her campus residence during her congressional tenure.

2018: No corporate PAC donations

Since 2018, Katie Porter has not accepted campaign donations from corporate political action committees, showing her commitment to reducing corporate influence in politics.

March 2019: Introduction of the "Help America Run Act"

In March 2019, Katie Porter introduced the "Help America Run Act" (H.R.1623), which aimed to allow House and Senate candidates to use campaign funds for healthcare premiums, elder care, child care, and dependent care.

March 2019: Questioned Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan

In March 2019, Katie Porter questioned Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan during a congressional hearing, arguing that he contradicted his lawyers' "corporate puffery".

April 2019: Questioned JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon

In April 2019, Katie Porter questioned JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon during a congressional hearing.

May 2019: Questioned HUD Secretary Ben Carson About REOs

In May 2019, Katie Porter questioned Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson about "REOs" (real estate owned properties) during a congressional hearing.

June 2019: Supported Impeachment Inquiry

In June 2019, Katie Porter became one of the first Democrats in a swing district to support an impeachment inquiry following the Robert Mueller investigation.

2019: Co-sponsor of the Equality Act

In 2019, Katie Porter was a co-sponsor of the Equality Act and voted in favor of H.R. 5.

March 2020: CDC Director Committed to Free COVID-19 Testing

In March 2020, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert R. Redfield committed to free COVID-19 testing during questioning by Katie Porter.

August 24, 2020: Questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

On August 24, 2020, Katie Porter questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy during a congressional hearing. He admitted he did not know the cost of mailing a postcard or a greeting card.

December 2020: Questioned Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin

In December 2020, Katie Porter questioned United States Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin over COVID-19 relief funding during a House hearing.

2020: Trump refused to accept election loss

In 2020, Katie Porter evoked the criticism for echoing former president Trump's refusal to accept his 2020 loss.

2020: Co-Chair of Elizabeth Warren's Presidential Campaign

In 2020, Katie Porter served as one of three co-chairs of Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign.

January 2021: Removed from Financial Services Committee

In January 2021, Katie Porter was removed from the Financial Services Committee, opting instead to serve on the House Natural Resources and House Oversight committees. She participated in an investigation into the NHTSA's test standards for children's car seats on the Oversight committee.

July 2021: Online interview between Jennifer Granholm and Porter

In July 2021, there was an online interview from between then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Porter.

2021: Support for Every Kid Outdoors Program

In 2021, Katie Porter advocated for additional funding for the National Park Service's Every Kid Outdoors program to enhance children's access to national parks.

2021: Voted in favor of H.R. 5

In 2021, Katie Porter voted in favor of H.R. 5.

January 13, 2022: Urged FDA to End Blood Donation Policy

On January 13, 2022, Katie Porter urged the Food and Drug Administration to end a policy that prevented sexually active gay and bisexual men from giving blood donations.

June 2022: Voted in Line with Biden's Position

As of June 2022, Katie Porter had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 98.2% of the time.

January 10, 2023: Announced Candidacy for U.S. Senate

On January 10, 2023, Katie Porter announced her candidacy in the 2024 election for the U.S. Senate from California, raising over $1 million in the first 24 hours.

January 2023: Criticism as a Boss

In January 2023, Politico reported on criticism that Katie Porter was allegedly a terrible boss, with some accounts claiming she was abusive and racist.

February 2023: Call to End Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh

In February 2023, Katie Porter called on the Biden administration to end the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and cease all U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan, emphasizing that American taxpayers shouldn't subsidize Azerbaijan's actions against the Armenian people.

April 2023: Porter Defended Herself on The View

In April 2023, Katie Porter defended herself on 'The View' against allegations of creating a toxic workplace, comparing herself to women of color who face discrimination.

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August 2023: Support for SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike

In August 2023, Katie Porter joined the SAG-AFTRA and WGA picket line outside Paramount Studios. She voiced her support for workers' rights to bargain and listened to the concerns of the SAG-AFTRA workers.

September 2023: Energy Policy Interview

In September 2023, during an interview with Fox 5 San Diego, Katie Porter discussed California's need for an 'all of the above' energy approach, emphasizing the importance of transitioning to greener energy while ensuring no workers are left behind.

December 2023: Call for Ceasefire in Gaza War

In December 2023, Katie Porter called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war after Hamas is removed "from operational control of Gaza". She also blamed Hamas for the "shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicine" over the years in Gaza.

2023: Endorsement of the 'America the Beautiful' initiative

In 2023, Katie Porter endorsed the Biden administration's "America the Beautiful" initiative, showing her support for conservation efforts.

2023: Reported Religious Affiliation

In 2023, the Pew Research Center reported that Katie Porter identifies as an Episcopalian.

February 2024: Call to decommission Diablo Canyon Power Plant

In February 2024, during her Senate campaign, Katie Porter called for decommissioning the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, during a debate.

June 2024: Response to Biden's Debate Performance

In June 2024, after the presidential debate, Katie Porter stated that the White House "clearly fumbled" its response to the fallout from President Biden's debate performance. She also suggested a change in direction, which could include a change in advisors or a change in campaign strategy.

2024: Candidacy in the Election

In 2024, Katie Porter was in the election for the U.S. Senate from California.

2024: Porter blamed the housing crisis on "Wall Street"

In 2024, during her Senate campaign, Katie Porter blamed the housing crisis on "Wall Street". She supported increased funding for section 8 vouchers and an increase in the low-income housing tax credit.

January 2025: Porter leaves Congress

By January 2025, Katie Porter would leave Congress after failing to advance from the March 5 nonpartisan primary.

March 11, 2025: Entered Gubernatorial Race

On March 11, 2025, Katie Porter announced that she would be entering California's 2026 gubernatorial race.

October 8, 2025: Threatened to Walk Out of Interview

On October 8, 2025, Katie Porter threatened to walk out of an interview with CBS News Sacramento Correspondent Julie Watts after facing follow-up questions.

October 2025: Video resurfaced showing Katie Porter yelling at staffer

In October 2025, a video resurfaced showing Katie Porter yelling "Get out of my fucking shot!" to one of her employees. Porter later stated that what she did was wrong and apologized to the staffer.