Former California Democratic Rep. Katie Porter said she’s abandoning politics “for now” and instead rebranding herself as a book reviewer, since losing her bid to become the Democratic nominee for California governor.
“Hi, it’s Katie Porter with a nonpolitical post,” she announced in an Instagram video on Thursday. “I’m done for now with politics and campaigning.”
Porter cited her long-held love for reading, saying she finds “solace and joy” in it.
“I’m rebranding this account as ‘Katie Porter turns the page,’” she said. “I’m a fast reader, so stay tuned for book recommendations, book ideas, and author content.”
Porter said her new account name references the start of a fresh chapter in her life, after facing blowback for a leaked video that showed her telling a staffer to “get out of my f***ing shot.”
Porter was one of the front-runners for much of the gubernatorial Democratic primary, but was unable to recover from the leaked videos and rumors about her mistreating her staff. She apologized for her treatment of her staff, as well as for walking out of an interview with CBS Sacramento.
“I apologized in real time when that happened because it was inappropriate — right then and there, and I knew it,” Porter said at a public forum in October. “I could have done better in that situation. I know that. I really want my staff to understand that I value them.”
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra gained in the polls after the incidents were revealed and eventually won the nomination, with 28% of the vote. Porter came in with just over 4% of the vote. At one point, she was polling at 21%.
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Porter ran on an anti-Trump platform, accusing the president of abusing his power by having Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers deport illegal immigrants. Her campaign also called for universal childcare and refused corporate donations.
Porter, an Iowa native, was elected to represent California in the House of Representatives in 2019. She became the deputy chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where she was known for her fierce questioning of witnesses. In 2025, she ran for California’s open Senate seat, but lost the Democratic primary to Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
