45th Congressional District race to determine historic party lines

Orange County voters face a choice between reelecting their current Democratic representative, Katie Porter, or restoring a historically Republican district by electing Republican candidate Greg Raths.

Orange County voters face a choice Nov. 3 to determine their congressperson in the House of Representatives. The current representative, Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, faces Republican challenger Greg Raths, city councilman and former mayor of Mission Viejo. California’s 45th congressional district has historically been Republican-controlled, until Porter’s 2018 victory flipped the seat for the first time in decades. 

While Porter’s victory overcame the historic incumbent advantage, it remains to be seen whether Raths can do the same to flip the district back to red. Raths told The Panther he believes the race will be a tight one and the final results might not be known on election night. Raths remains hopeful that the former Republican stronghold will reclaim its position over the 45th, despite Inside Elections claiming this seat will be a safe win for Democrats.  

“(Porter) is taking nothing for granted; it’s not just about winning one race in 2020,” said Jordan Wong, director of communications for Porter’s campaign. “It’s about earning people’s trust and restoring faith in government.”

Porter is running on a progressive platform that adheres to her first-term record in Congress, as well as her past as a consumer advocate working under California Sen. Kamala Harris. During her first term in office, Porter has gained a reputation as a tough interrogator in Congress and has both co-sponsored and voted on several progressive bills. 

“I’ve made oversight and accountability two of my top priorities in Congress,” Porter wrote in an email to The Panther. “I’m going to keep fighting for getting dark money out of our politics, protecting our environment and reducing gun violence.”

Raths is running on a platform that emphasizes traditional Republican values. His personal priorities include ensuring safety from crime in the community, lowering taxes for the working and middle-class and taking care of veterans and senior citizens. He told The Panther he wants to improve the lives of all members of the community, not just Republicans, saying he values a small federal government that allows the states greater power.

“The federal government has ballooned into this huge monstrosity,” Raths said. “I’ll do everything I can to trim it down as much as possible.”

Nevertheless, as taking care of seniors is a priority for Raths, he aims to ensure that Medicare and Social Security remain solvent. That’s a goal that is shared by Porter, according to her campaign website.

“I don’t like that the federal government takes money away from these programs to use for other programs,” Raths said. “We paid into that system our whole lives and now it’s emptied.” 

The issue of race relations, particularly in light of the death of George Floyd in May and following tensions, has been a highlight of this election cycle.

Porter has co-sponsored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which aims to crack 

down on law enforcement misconduct. She voted in favor of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which qualifies lynching as a hate crime and establishes its criminal penalty. 

Raths expressed to The Panther his willingness to work with the African American community and listen to any marginalized group. However, he condemned the rioting that sometimes followed protests over George Floyd’s death, stating that there are peaceful ways to create change.

“If there’s a bad cop, there’s a way to handle that; you just don’t go smashing businesses and burning towns down,” Raths said. “That’s just criminal and wrong.”

Another key issue in this election cycle is the government response to the coronavirus, particularly relief legislation.

Porter voted in favor of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which established paid sick leave and free COVID-19 testing and required employers to provide healthcare protections for workers while expanding unemployment benefits. 

“I’ve been disappointed by the lack of leadership coming from the White House,” Porter wrote to The Panther. “President Trump failed to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously from the beginning, and he used divisive language rather than try to unite us as Americans.”

Raths, who aims to aid families, members of the working class and small businesses, told The Panther he supports the president’s handling of the pandemic. Raths said he appreciated that President Trump gave the states the power to handle the virus, while the federal government provides oversight.

The results of this election are yet to be decided as both candidates contend for victory. The outcome will be seen after Nov. 3, when the election results are determined.