Politics is a brutal business. Honestly, you can be a viral sensation with a million followers and a Sharpie, and still find yourself on the outside looking in when the dust settles. That’s basically the story of the Katie Porter Senate race. If you spent any time on social media over the last few years, you’ve seen her. She’s the one with the whiteboard, making multi-millionaire CEOs look like they forgot to do their homework. But when it came to the California primary in March 2024, the math just didn't add up for her.
She lost. Not just a little bit, but third-place lost.
Most people think she was a shoo-in. They saw the clips of her grilling JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon and figured that kind of populist energy would carry her straight to DC. It didn’t. Instead, she got squeezed out by a veteran Democratic strategist named Adam Schiff and a former baseball star named Steve Garvey. If you want to understand what actually happened with the Katie Porter Senate race, you have to look past the viral videos and into the messy, expensive world of California power politics.
The Strategy That Backfired
When Porter jumped into the race in January 2023, she didn’t wait for permission. She announced her run before the legendary Dianne Feinstein had even decided to retire. Bold? Yeah. Risky? Absolutely. She banked on being the "outsider" within the party, the one who wouldn't take a dime of corporate PAC money.
But Adam Schiff had a different plan. He had a war chest that would make most small nations jealous. By the end of 2023, Schiff had about $35 million sitting in the bank. Porter had $13 million. In a state as big as California, where buying a week of TV ads in Los Angeles can cost millions, that gap is everything.
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Schiff did something clever—and kinda mean. He started running ads that "attacked" the Republican candidate, Steve Garvey, for being too conservative. It sounds counterintuitive, right? Why help the Republican? Because in California’s "top-two" primary system, the two people with the most votes move on to the general election, regardless of party. Schiff knew if he could boost Garvey’s profile enough among Republicans, Garvey would take the second-place spot. That would leave Porter in third, effectively killing her campaign before it even reached November. It worked perfectly.
Why the Whiteboard Didn't Save Her
People loved the whiteboard. It was her brand. But in a statewide race, a brand can become a cage. While she was winning over voters under 45—polling at about 23% with that group compared to Schiff's 11%—she couldn't bridge the gap with older voters.
The seniors? They went for Schiff. He had the "impeachment manager" aura. He felt safe. Porter’s "warrior" energy was great for TikTok, but it didn't always translate to the suburban households in the Central Valley or the Bay Area.
Then there was the money. A massive crypto-backed Super PAC called Fairshake dropped a $10 million bomb on her in the final weeks. They hated her. Why? Because she’d been critical of the environmental impact of crypto mining and was a close ally of Elizabeth Warren. They didn't just want her to lose; they wanted to make an example out of her. They ran ads calling her a "fake" and a "bully." When you’re already being outspent by the Schiff machine, a $10 million hit from a third party is basically a knockout blow.
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The "Rigged" Controversy
After the results came in, Porter didn’t exactly go quietly. She used a word that triggered a lot of people: rigged.
"I said 'rigged by billionaires' and our politics are in fact manipulated by big dark money. Defending democracy means calling that out."
She wasn't talking about the ballot counting. She was talking about the money. But in the post-2020 world, using the word "rigged" is like throwing a match into a gas station. Even her allies winced. She later said she wished she’d picked a different word, but the damage was done. It made her look like a sore loser to some, even if her point about "dark money" was factually true.
Where She Stands Now
So, is she done? Hardly. You don't just disappear after being a national figure. Porter is already looking at the 2026 California gubernatorial race. She’s entering a crowded field that includes big names like Eleni Kounalakis and Antonio Villaraigosa.
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But she’s still bumping into the same personality critiques. Just recently, she had a tense moment with a reporter from CBS News Sacramento where she almost walked out of the interview. She got frustrated with follow-up questions about Trump voters. It's that same "tough" persona that made her famous, but it’s a double-edged sword in a state that often prefers its leaders a bit more "polished."
The Numbers You Should Know
If you look at the final primary tally, the gap was pretty stark:
- Adam Schiff: ~32%
- Steve Garvey: ~31%
- Katie Porter: ~15%
She didn't just lose; she wasn't even close to that second-place spot. She didn't lead in a single county. Even in her home turf of Orange County, she couldn't pull off a win. It’s a sobering reminder that being a "national" star isn't the same as being a "statewide" star.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you’re following the 2026 race or just interested in how these campaigns work, here is what the Katie Porter Senate race taught us:
- Beware the "Top-Two" Trap: In states like California, your biggest threat might not be the other party, but someone in your own party "promoting" a weak opponent to leapfrog you.
- Small Dollars vs. Super PACs: Porter’s average donation was $38. That’s incredible. But it can't always compete with a single $10 million check from a crypto billionaire.
- The Generation Gap: If you want to win California, you can’t just win the youth. You have to find a way to make the 65+ crowd feel like you aren't going to break the system.
If you want to keep tabs on her next move, watch the fundraising filings for the 2026 Governor's race. That's where the real story is always written. Keep an eye on whether she adjusts her "outsider" rhetoric or leans even harder into the whiteboard style. The next two years will decide if she's a one-act wonder or a long-term fixture in California power.