Katie Porter doesn’t back out from a tough contest

Katie Porter doesn't mince words, she's plain spoken and can be dynamic, Can she be elected governor? More importantly, can he govern? Answer to question I:She hasa goodshot, basedon polls—if Kamala Harris doesn't run.

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Non-answerto question 2: Who knows? Atleast she hasneverseemedtobe risk-averse. She doesn't back away from a tough fight. But that doesn’t necessarily mean success, And she has never held an executive office. The 5|-year-old former con- gresswoman from Orange County stepped into the 2096 race for California governor last week, joining anunderwhelming field of Democratic candidates trying to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. Most wilscatter tothe windsifHarrisenterstherace, She's the joker card in the contest. The failed 2024 Democratic presidential candidate has said she'll decide whether to run by summer's end.

The thinking in political circles is that Harris’ name familiarity and fundraising ability would put her beyond the reach of current contenders or virtually anyone else who might conceivably run. The former vice president has a long record of election success in her native state, having won races for the U.S. Senate, state attorney general and San Francisco district attorney, But although Harris has wide support among Democratic vot- ers in California, | suspect it’s shallow — only ankle deep. The then-senator bombed while running for president in 2020 and was trailing badly — most notably in her home state — before dropping out ahead of the primaries. Last year, she clobbered Republican Donald Trump in California, but not nearly as lopsidedly as Joe Biden did in 2020.