Staff Reports
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) blames billionaires for her loss in California’s senatorial primary. After failing to advance out of the jungle primary on Super Tuesday, Porter took to social media to call the election “rigged.” She specifically pointed the finger at billionaires who she claims spent over $10 million on attack ads against her. The Democrat also accused a super PAC of rigging the election, echoing former President Donald Trump’s claims of election manipulation.
.@RepKatiePorter reiterates that California Senate primary loss was due to ‘rigged’ election https://t.co/MBnbYDI78N https://t.co/MBnbYDI78N
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 7, 2024
Porter’s comments received swift backlash from her fellow Democrats, including Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), who denied the election was rigged. Despite the pushback, Porter stood by her statement, arguing that calling out the influence of “big dark money” is necessary to defend democracy. However, her claims of election rigging come as a surprise, given that she stated, “At no time have I ever undermined the vote count and election process in CA, which are beyond reproach.”
The primary ultimately saw Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and former Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey emerge as the top candidates. Schiff’s victory was secured with the help of significant financial support from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), leading to criticism that he worked to block Porter from appearing on the November ballot. This tactic paid off for Schiff, as he is now positioned as the likely successor to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Unfortunately for Porter and her progressive ally Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), their congressional stints will come to an end in January 2025. With this turn of events, California’s Senate race is set to be a battle between Schiff and a Republican candidate, saving the Democratic party millions in campaign expenses.
Porter’s accusations of election rigging and her attempt to shift blame onto billionaires and dark money have not been well-received by her fellow Democrats. As the dust settles, it appears that Rep. Adam Schiff’s successful maneuvering may have effectively ended Porter’s hopes for a spot on the November ballot.
