Topline
Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., said she regrets claiming she lost in California’s Senate primary earlier this month because of an attempt to “rig” the election, expressing remorse for remarks that received fierce backlash for the word’s connection to language used by former President Donald Trump.
Porter was criticized for calling her California senate race “rig[ged]” following her loss.
Key Facts
When asked about her remarks during an appearance on the podcast “Pod Save America” Tuesday, Porter said she “[wished she] had chosen a different word” to describe her loss to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and GOP candidate Steve Garvey.
Porter had initially used the word “rigged” to express her frustration with the “onslaught of billionaires” who she says spent millions opposing her run and likely securing Schiff a Senate seat in the general election later this year.
Porter, however, did reiterate her concern over the influence of big money in elections which she said can “[manipulate] and [distort]” outcomes when millions of dollars are spent at the last minute and are not disclosed until after the election.
Crucial Quote
“I want to really make clear that at no time in, and in no way would I ever suggest that there’s anything other than a careful, thoughtful, amazing election system that actually should be the model for a lot of the country, in my opinion,” Porter said in the podcast interview that was released Tuesday.
Big Number
15.3%. That’s the percentage of votes Porter got during the March 6 election, which left her in third place behind Schiff and Garvey. In California, the top two primary candidates move on to the general election in November.
Key Background
Porter’s initial comments about the election being rigged received backlash from both sides of the aisle. In the immediate aftermath of her comments, Porter doubled down and said “‘rigged’ means manipulated by dishonest means,” citing $10 million worth of billionaire-funded attack ads against her. But by then, many had already connected Porter’s comments to language used by Trump and his supporters to describe the outcome of the 2020 election (there is no evidence to support theories about election rigging in 2020). Porter’s “$10 million” comment likely refers to the super PAC Fairshake, backed largely by a handful of Silicon Valley billionaires and crypto firms, which spent at least $10 million opposing Porter’s primary run, the Los Angeles Times reported. Besides the influx of millions of dollars to oppose her, Porter faced challenges with Schiff’s strategy to promote Garvey, the top Republican in the race, during the election in an effort to push Porter off the general election ballot.
