LOS ANGELES — Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter gained a reputation on Capitol Hill for grilling corporate executives at House hearings, white board in hand. But it was Porter – now a candidate for California governor – who found herself growing edgy under questioning by a TV reporter, and even threatening to walk out.
A segment of Porter’s recent interview with Julie Watts, a CBS California reporter, has now gone viral. Her Democratic rivals in the crowded 2026 contest to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom said the tense exchange showed Porter is too unsteady for the state’s highest job, with one calling on her to quit the race.
“Katie Porter is a weak, self-destructive candidate unfit to lead California. The stakes are simply too high for her to stay in this race,” former state controller Betty Yee said in a statement. “If she can’t take the heat of a few simple questions, she won’t be able to withstand the fire in a real crisis.”