The Women Are Winning
LIKE A LOT OF LIBERAL WOMEN, KATIE PORTER DIDN’T like what she was seeing in Washington. So the Southern California law professor decided to run for Congress to do something about it. In April 2017, the Democrat announced that she would challenge Republican incumbent Mimi Walters, who represents the 45th District in historically conservative Orange County.
Porter, 44, is a consumer-protection attorney who co-authored a book with Senator Elizabeth Warren. But just a few days after she launched her campaign, a younger male colleague at the same law school—whom Porter helped land his job—got in the race too. He warned that she was too liberal to win. The California Democratic Party endorsed him over her.
On June 5, Porter won the primary anyway, and in November, she’ll be on the midterm ballot in a district that Hillary Clinton won by 5 points. “People here are fired up,” Porter tells TIME. “If we want to stand up to Trump’s agenda, we need a Congresswoman who represents our values.”
Her victory highlights a dominant theme of this year’s primary season. After running for office in record numbers, women are now winning Democratic nominations at a record rate. In
