California Rep. Katie Porter (D) said Thursday she would consider joining Joe Biden’s administration if the Democratic presidential nominee wins November’s election, and would also consider running for the Senate seat held by Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
“I will always at least consider, if not say yes, to anything I could do to help solve the problems that are facing America,” Porter told HuffPost during an interview on Instagram Live when asked if she would consider a Senate run. “I would absolutely be interested in trying to serve, whether it’s in the Biden administration or whether it’s taking on new roles in the House of Representatives, whatever options are presented to me, I’d be willing to step up.”
Porter ― a former law professor at the University of California, Irvine ― defeated incumbent GOP Rep. Mimi Walters to win a suburban House seat during the 2018 midterm elections.
She’s gained a massive following among Democrats for her tough questioning of Trump administration and private sector officials during hearings of the House Oversight and Financial Services committees, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield and Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan.
She’s considered a protege of both Harris and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ― she was a student of Warren’s at Harvard Law and Harris appointed her as an independent monitor for the state’s settlement with major banks during the housing crisis. She endorsed Warren for the Democratic nomination.
If Porter is considered for a job in the Biden administration, it would likely be in either the Treasury or the Justice Department. And if she does opt to run or seek the appointment for Harris’ Senate seat, she’ll likely have an intraparty fight on her hands.
If Harris does win, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will appoint a replacement, who will then have to run for reelection in 2022. In a state as large and as heavily Democratic as California, he’ll have plenty of options: Porter, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and state Attorney General Xavier Becerra are just a few of the names tossed around for the appointment.
“We are so lucky in California to have a broad, diverse bench of elected officials,” Porter said. “I don’t envy the governor having to make this appointment.”
Since Harris is one of only three Black members of the Senate, Newsom is likely to face pressure to appoint a person of color to the seat. The San Francisco-based Latino Community Foundation sent a letter to Newsom on Wednesday signed by more than 500 Latino and Latina activists asking him to appoint a Latino or Latina to the seat. Latinos make up nearly 40% of the state’s population.
“It is up to states like California to do their part to ensure that we are building more diverse and inclusive institutions reflective of our society,” the activists wrote.