I was pulling for Barbara Lee to win the March 5 California primary to replace the late U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. I followed Lee diligently and it looked like she had a chance. She was doing the work. At the same time, I know how to read polls and saw Democrat Adam Schiff was the clear leader with Republican Steve Garvey and Democrat Katie Porter behind. Lee didn’t make the top three, although she would have been a great U.S. Senator.

In California, all candidates for voter-nominated offices are listed on one ballot and only the top two vote-getters in the primary election – regardless of party preference – move on to the general election, according to the California Secretary of State.

Team Schiff was accused of sneaky tricks during the campaign. As the Washington Post put it, “Rep. Adam Schiff and his allies are spending $11 million in the all-party primary to try to elevate a GOP candidate and box out Rep. Katie Porter from the general election.” The premise was Garvey would be easier for Schiff to beat in the general election. Is this illegal? No. Katie Porter did not care for it one bit, calling the practice “cynical.” She followed in suit, spending half a million dollars to promote another Republican candidate, but it was too little, too late.

Schiff and Garvey advanced to the general election.

Barbara Lee acknowledged the impact of money being spent in this campaign and made multiple statements to the press on election day, saying we need public elections to take the money out of politics. She then skipped her campaign watch party, boarded a plane, and flew to Washington, D.C. to get back to work. We are fortunate to have people like Lee in the Congress.

Katie Porter made a big splash after the votes were counted. Her remarks to supporters are worth watching:

This is the Katie Porter Iowans have come to know. What people picked up on was her later statement about “(the) onslaught of billionaires spending millions to rig this election.” When she suggested the election was rigged, some felt she had gone full MAGA the way Trumpies denied the results of the 2020 election for president. A media brouhaha ensued. Poppycock, I say!

Katie Porter would agree with Barbara Lee, and most progressives, we need to get special interest money out of politics. Indirectly, that was her point. Media personalities never miss an opportunity to tear down progressives and the “rigged” comment was their impetus to pile on. Porter seems likely to finish her Congressional term and after that, who knows. If she has the smarts and commitment I believe she does, we haven’t heard the last from Katie Porter.