Dem former Congresswoman Katie Porter on Tuesday launched her campaign for California governor, Politico reports on her once again making the first move in a statewide race that may be dominated by a heavier hitter. In 2023 Porter did not wait for then-Senator Dianne Feinstein to announce her retirement (or die before that, which she did) to launch a bid for her seat, ultimately losing to higher-profile now-Senator Adam Schiff who launched somewhat hastily a few weeks later.
This time Porter’s getting ahead of a possible bid by former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Politico notes that an internal polling memo showing Porter up significantly over other potential Dem rivals for the highest office in the most populated of the United States – such as Lt Gov Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former state Attorney General Xavier Becerra – does not include Harris in the field. So that version of the poll probably didn’t look so great for Porter. Politico asserts that, absent Harris, Porter does have considerable advantages though.
Separately CNN’s Isaac Dovere reports an aide said Porter will “probably” drop out if Harris enters.