Katie Porter’s meltdown opens the door for this L.A. Democrat
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SACRAMENTO — Sen. Alex Padilla apparently dreams of becoming California’s next governor. He’s thinking hard about entering the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom. And Katie Porter may have just opened the starting gate for him.
Porter has been regarded as the early front-runner. But she tripped and stumbled badly during a contentious, unprofessional and rude performance in a recent routine TV interview that went viral.
We don’t know the extent of her injury. But it was certainly enough to make Padilla’s decision a lot easier. If he really deep down covets the job of governor, the time seems ripe to apply for it.
Padilla wouldn’t need to vacate the Senate merely to run. He’d have what’s called a “free ride”: He doesn’t face reelection next year because his Senate term runs through 2028.
But a Senate seat is gold plated. No term limits — a job often for life. It offers prestige and power, with sway over a global array of issues.
Why would Padilla trade that to become the governor whose state is plagued by homelessness, wildfires and unaffordable living for millions?
For starters, it’s not much fun these days to be in the toothless Senate minority as a Democrat.
The California governor has immense power over spending and taxes, the appointment of positions ranging from local fair board members to state Supreme Court justices and the fate of hundreds of bills passed each year by the Legislature.
You lead the most populous state and the world’s fourth-largest economy.
The office provides an automatic launching pad for anyone with presidential aspirations, such as the termed-out present occupant.
Anyway, Padilla, 52, is a proud native Californian, raised in the San Fernando Valley with strong ties to the state.
And he’s immensely qualified to be governor, having served well in local, state and federal branches of government: Los Angeles City Council, state Senate, California secretary of State and the U.S. Senate.
There has been speculation for weeks about his entering the gubernatorial race. And in a recent New York Times interview, he acknowledged: “I am weighing it.”
“Look, California is home,” he said. “I love California. I miss California when I’m in Washington. And there’s a lot of important work to do there. … I’m just trying to think through: Where can I be most impactful.”
How long will he think? “The race is not until next year,” he said. “So that decision will come.”
It should come much sooner than next year in order to be elected governor in this far-flung state with its vast socio-economic and geographic diversity.
Former Democratic Rep. Porter from Orange County has been beating him and every announced candidate in the polls — although not by enough to loudly boast about.
In a September poll by Emerson College, 36% of surveyed voters said they were undecided about whom to support. Of the rest, 16% favored Porter and just 7% Padilla.
In an August survey by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, 38% were undecided. Porter led with 17%. The nearest Democrat at 9% was Xavier Becerra, former secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services, state attorney general and 12-term congressman. Padilla wasn’t listed.
Why Porter? She gained renown during congressional hearings while grilling corporate executives and using a white board. But mainly, I suspect, voters got to know her when she ran statewide for the U.S. Senate last year. She didn’t survive the primary, but her name familiarity did.
By contrast, Padilla has never had a tough top-of-the-ticket statewide race. He was appointed by Newsom to the Senate in 2021 to fill the vacancy created by Kamala Harris’ election as vice president.
Democratic strategist Garry South says it would be “risky” for Padilla to announce his candidacy unless he immediately became the front-runner. That’s because he’d need that status to attract the hefty campaign donations required to introduce himself to voters.
“Unlike the governor, a California senator is not really that well known,” the strategist says. “And he hasn’t been a senator that long. I don’t think voters have a sense of him. In order to improve his [poll] numbers, he’s going to have to spend a lot of money. If he were an instant frontrunner, the money would flow. But if he jumps in with only half the votes [of
the frontrunner], there’s no reason for money to flow.
“And the longer he waits, the less time he has to raise the money.”
Porter may have eased the way for Padilla.
The UC Irvine law professor came unglued when CBS Sacramento reporter Julie Watts asked what she’d tell California’s 6 million Donald Trump voters in order to win their needed support for governor. Porter reacted like a normal irritated person rather than a seasoned politician.
She tersely dismissed the question’s premise and replied that the GOP votes wouldn’t be needed.
When the interviewer persisted, Porter lost her cool. “I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m going to call it,” she said, threatening to walk out. But she didn’t.
It was raw meat for her campaign opponents and they immediately pounced.
Former state Controller Betty Yee called on Porter to “leave this race” because she’s “a weak, self-destructive candidate unfit to lead California.”
Veteran Democratic consultant Gale Kaufman, who’s not involved in the contest, says the TV flub “hurts her a lot because it goes to likability.”
If Padilla really longs for the job, he can stop dreaming and take advantage of a golden opportunity.
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The L.A. Times Special: At Trump’s Justice Department, partisan pugnacity where honor, integrity should be
Until next week,
George Skelton
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Ideas expressed in the piece
The article characterizes Porter’s television interview as a “contentious, unprofessional and rude performance” that caused her to “trip and stumble badly,” potentially opening the gubernatorial race for Sen. Alex Padilla. Porter’s reaction to CBS reporter Julie Watts’ question about appealing to Trump voters is described as losing her cool, with the former congresswoman threatening to end the interview rather than responding like “a seasoned politician.”
The piece argues that Padilla is “immensely qualified to be governor” given his extensive experience across local, state, and federal government, including service on the Los Angeles City Council, state Senate, as California secretary of State, and in the U.S. Senate[2]. The article suggests the timing is ideal for Padilla to enter the race because he has a “free ride” with no Senate reelection until 2028, allowing him to run for governor without risking his current position.
According to Democratic consultant Gale Kaufman cited in the article, the TV incident “hurts her a lot because it goes to likability,” suggesting Porter’s behavior damaged a critical element of electoral success. The article notes that Porter’s opponents, including former state Controller Betty Yee, immediately seized on the moment, with Yee calling Porter “a weak, self-destructive candidate unfit to lead California”[2].
The article emphasizes the strategic imperative for Padilla to act quickly, as Democratic strategist Garry South warns that waiting too long would leave insufficient time to raise the necessary campaign funds. The piece suggests that Porter’s stumble has created a narrow window of opportunity that Padilla should exploit before it closes.
Different views on the topic
Porter’s supporters have vigorously defended her combative style as exactly what California needs, with Teamsters California leaders Peter Finn and Chris Griswold stating, “we don’t need to be polite, go along to get along, establishment politicians that keep getting run over by the opposition. We need strong leaders like Katie Porter that are willing to call it like it is and stand up and fight for everyday Californians”[2]. Multiple organizations including EMILYs List and Rep. Dave Min have released statements supporting Porter following the controversy[2].
Some political observers suggest the incident may not prove fatal to Porter’s campaign, with Democratic activist Christine Pelosi noting that “everyone’s had a bad day. Everyone’s done something that they wouldn’t want broadcast,” adding that “it’s a question of what comes next” rather than the incident itself being disqualifying[2]. Political analysts interviewed suggested that given short attention spans and social media’s rapid news cycles, this could be “a flash in the pan” that Porter can weather[1].
The controversy has been framed by some as reflecting persistent double standards in politics, with observers noting that women candidates face different scrutiny than their male counterparts for similar behavior[2][3]. Sen. Chris Murphy drew comparisons to President Trump’s daily controversial statements, questioning why Porter faces calls to drop out over a single incident while Trump’s repeated inflammatory comments are treated differently[1].
Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation, reframed the backlash as evidence that “Katie Porter’s willingness to take on powerful interests has the status quo very afraid and very motivated,” suggesting the negative reaction stems from establishment figures threatened by her populist approach rather than genuine concern about her temperament[2]. This perspective positions the controversy as confirmation of Porter’s effectiveness rather than evidence of unfitness for office.
