History of Katie Porter in Timeline

Katie Porter is an American politician and lawyer. She served as a U.S. Representative for California from 2019 to 2025, representing the 45th and later the 47th congressional districts. Known for her consumer protection advocacy and pointed questioning of corporate executives during congressional hearings, she gained prominence for her use of whiteboards to illustrate complex issues. In 2023, Porter ran for U.S. Senate but was defeated in the primary.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1953: Creation of the 45th District

In 1953, the 45th congressional district was created. Katie Porter was the first Democrat to represent the 45th district or its predecessors since it was created in 1953.

January 3, 1974: Katherine Porter's Birth

On January 3, 1974, Katherine Moore Porter was born. She would later become a U.S. Representative for California.

1985: Last Non-Hispanic Democrat

In 1985, Jerry M. Patterson left office. Before Katie Porter and Harley Rouda were elected in 2018, he was the last non-Hispanic Democrat to represent Orange County-based districts.

1996: Graduation from Yale University

In 1996, Katie Porter graduated from Yale University with a degree 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, with whom she has three children.

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.

2010: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court made a decision on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Katie Porter was endorsed by End Citizens United, a political action committee seeking to overturn this decision.

2011: Became a Full Professor

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

2011: Purchased Residence on UC Irvine Campus

In 2011, Katie Porter purchased a four-bedroom residence on the University of California, Irvine, campus.

March 2012: Appointed as California's Independent Monitor

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

2013: Filed for Divorce

In 2013, Katie Porter filed for divorce from Matthew Hoffman. Their divorce was contentious.

2015: Consulted for Ocwen

In 2015, Katie Porter consulted for Ocwen.

2016: Americans Voting by Mail

In 2016, Americans voted by mail. During an August 24, 2020, hearing, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy admitted that he did not know how many Americans voted by mail in the 2016 elections.

2016: Published Textbook: Modern Consumer Law

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

2018: Elected to Congress

In 2018, Katie Porter was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating two-term incumbent Republican Mimi Walters in California's 45th congressional district.

2018: Paused Teaching After Election

In 2018, after being elected, Katie Porter paused her teaching at UC Irvine.

March 2019: Introduced Help America Run Act

In March 2019, Katie Porter introduced the "Help America Run Act" (H.R.1623), a bill related to campaign contributions. The bill would allow people running for the House or Senate to use campaign contributions to pay 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, 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.

May 2019: Questioned HUD Secretary Ben Carson

In May 2019, Katie Porter questioned Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson about "REOs", real estate owned properties, which he confused with Oreo cookies.

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 Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation.

October 2019: Help America Run Act Passed in the House

In October 2019, the Help America Run Act, introduced by Katie Porter, passed the House, but was not taken up by the Senate.

2019: Election to Congress

In 2019, Katie Porter began her service as a U.S. Representative from California, having been elected in 2018 as part of a Democratic wave in Orange County.

March 2020: Secured Commitment for Free COVID-19 Testing

In March 2020, Robert R. Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, committed to make COVID-19 testing free for all Americans during questioning by Katie Porter.

August 24, 2020: Questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

On August 24, 2020, Katie Porter questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in a congressional hearing about the Postal Service.

December 2020: Sparred with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin

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

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

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

2020: Trump's Loss

In 2020, former president Trump experienced a loss. After her loss in the primary, Katie Porter said the election had been "rigged" against her, which triggered backlash from some Democrats, who condemned her language for echoing former president Trump's refusal to accept his 2020 loss.

January 2021: Removed from Financial Services Committee

In January 2021, Katie Porter was removed from the Financial Services Committee after opting to serve instead on the House Natural Resources and House Oversight committees.

November 5, 2021: Voted for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

On November 5, 2021, Katie Porter voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

June 2022: Voting Alignment with Joe Biden

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

2022: Re-election to Congress

In 2022, Katie Porter was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 47th congressional district after redistricting.

2022: Report on Median Residence Price

In 2022, the Associated Press reported that the median price of a residence in Irvine was $1,300,000.

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.

January 2023: Reported Criticism of Porter as a Boss

In January 2023, Politico reported on criticism that Katie Porter was "allegedly a terrible—according to some accounts, abusive and racist—boss."

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 are discriminated against.

December 2023: Called for Ceasefire in Israel-Hamas War

In December 2023, Katie Porter called for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war after Hamas is removed "from operational control of Gaza" and blamed Hamas for shortages in Gaza.

2023: Senate Candidacy Announcement

In 2023, Katie Porter announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate, foregoing re-election to the House of Representatives.

2023: Voted Against Removal of US Troops from Syria

In 2023, Katie Porter voted against H.R. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

2023: Voted Against Fiscal Responsibility Act

In 2023, Katie Porter was among the 46 House Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

2023: Reported as Episcopalian

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

2024: Porter's Housing Crisis Stance

During her 2024 Senate campaign, Katie Porter blamed the housing crisis on "Wall Street".

2024: Called for Decommissioning Diablo Canyon Power Plant

During her failed 2024 Senate campaign, Katie Porter called for decommissioning the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.

2024: U.S. Senate Candidacy

In 2024, Katie Porter ran for U.S. Senate from California.

January 2025: Departure from Congress

By January 2025, Katie Porter, who did not seek reelection to her House seat, would leave Congress, after failing to advance from the March 5 nonpartisan primary.

2025: End of Congressional Term

In January 2025, Katie Porter's service in the U.S. House of Representatives ended after she did not seek re-election and failed to advance in the Senate primary.