Candidates respond to Porter’s $3 million campaign

The Panther spoke to CA-45s Republican candidates ahead of the primaries for their take on potential opponent, Katie Porter

Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter continues to outweigh her Republican opponents in campaign funding. EMMA REITH Art Director

With less than a month until the California primaries, Republican candidates talk to The Panther about their fundraising and the importance of the 45th district

Ronald Reagan once described Orange County as the “place good Republicans go to die,” and for decades, the region was a safe bet for conservatives seeking reelection. Then the 2018 “blue wave” hit the 45th district and Orange is now represented by Congresswoman Katie Porter: a progressive liberal who named her daughter after leftist Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Almost two years have passed since her election and Porter now faces reelection in November. While her 4.2 percent win against incumbent representative Mimi Walters took many Orange County voters by surprise, her support appears sustainable. According to a January 30th press release, her reelection campaign raised $3.4 million in 2019.

But local Republicans are fighting to take the 45th district back. There are four competitive republicans vying for the chance to be the nominee that goes against Porter, one of them being Chapman’s own Dean of Communication, Lisa Sparks, who did not respond to requests for comment. Greg Raths, Don Sedgwick, Peggy Huang, Lisa Sparks and Christopher Gonzalez will be on the primary ballot March 3.

“This is not a liberal district, this is not San Francisco, this is not even L.A. We feel very confident that this district is looking for a conservative to represent them,” said John Thomas, Chief Strategist for former Mayor Don Sedgwick’s congressional campaign.

No one comes close to Porter’s financial support, but the Sedgwick campaign is runner up with roughly $520,000 in the bank. With around 800 volunteers on the ground every weekend, the grassroots support for Sedgwick makes his team confident they’ll snag the nomination.

Porter does not accept PAC or corporate donations, which has increased the national buzz about the amount of money her campaign has raised. But the Sedgwick campaign can boast similar tactics; least 90 percent of Sedgwick’s money also comes from grassroot donors, according to Thomas.

Of the candidates The Panther spoke to this week, all three are more than confident Porter is beatable. Lou Penrose is the spokesperson for Peggy Huang’s campaign and a veteran of Orange County politics – he believes that familiarity with voters is valuable.

“I know every precinct, every door and I know the texture and value of the constituency. It’s not something that money can buy, it’s a genuine relationship,” Penrose said.

Katie Porter’s name is frequently thrown around with the ranks of New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar.

IIn January, Porter spent time in Iowa campaigning for Warren, her law school mentor, has already made her way to New Hampshire for the same cause. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Porter has also gone viral for taking on Housing Secretary Ben Carson during a heated House questioning. For a freshman congresswoman, Katie Porter has made a splash.

“We know we have a lot of loyal supporters and Katie’s done a phenomenal job in Congress keeping the promises she campaigned on. We’re working hard to reconnect with the really awesome folks who volunteered in 2018,” said Nora Walsh-DeVries, Porter’s campaign manager.

Yet Porter’s potential opponents do not believe that her national status will serve her reelection well. “She can’t run from her radical record,” Thomas said. “That’s the fundamental difference between 2018 and now; she had no record and now she does. No amount of money can cover that up and she’s going to lose in November because of it.”

But before then, the 45th district will have to choose their Republican nominee.

“The Republican money is coming in too, it’s just going to multiple people right now. We’ve all agreed to support whoever wins and help fundraise for them. We think that together, we can raise more than $5 million and beat Katie Porter,” said Mayor Greg Raths.

Orange County’s swing district status is new and evolving, so when the winner of the primaries faces Katie Porter in November, it could become a race of national significance.