Katie Porter concedes in race for governor. Here’s what she had to say to supporters on election night

Former Rep. Katie Porter conceded the California governor's race Tuesday night after polls closed, acknowledging she would not advance to the general election. Porter, who placed fifth in early returns, thanked supporters in a YouTube video and highlighted her campaign's focus on affordability and refusal to take corporate money.

Getting your Trinity Audio //trinityaudio.ai player ready...Former Rep. Katie Porter conceded in the race for governor about two hours after polls closed Tuesday night. Porter, in a video posted to YouTube https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3WNG3F6DHdg , acknowledged that votes are still being counted but said she would not advance to the general election in the fall. By 10 p.m., Tuesday, Porter was in a distant fifth in the race. “But as I look back on this race, I am so incredibly proud of the campaign that we built together,” Porter said. “Together, we talked about the issues that were important to California, particularly affordability and bringing down costs, including making housing the top issue in our campaign because it’s the top expense for most California families.” “Talking about taking on Donald Trump, abolishing ICE, standing up for the rights of every single Californian. That’s what this campaign was about.” Early, unofficial results from the secretary of state showed Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra neck-and-neck for first place, with Democrat Tom Steyer rounding out the top three. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were also quick to concede Tuesday night. Porter, in her video, thanked her supporters and her team. She also lauded her campaign as one that did not take money from corporations. “Running a race like this isn’t easy, and coming up short is hard, but democracy is worth doing hard things for. Stay in the fight, stay in touch, and thank you for believing in me,” Porter said. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor who represented Orange County in Congress for three terms, launched her campaign for governor in March 2025. She was briefly considered to be leading the pack of Democrats vying for governor but failed to gain traction, particularly after a pair of videos showing her interactions https://www.ocregister.com/2025/10/17/whats-next-for-katie-porters-california-governor-campaign-after-the-viral-videos/ with a journalist and former staffer went viral. She then — and in later debates — said she’s apologized and taken responsibility. On Tuesday night, Porter expressed gratitude for her team. “Some of these folks have worked with me now for nine, almost 10 years, some of them are new and have worked with me for 10 weeks, but they’ve all been part of my life, they’ve been part of my journey,” Porter said. “They are people that have made my experience in politics so much better, and so I just want to say I’m so grateful to all of my staff in this race and in past races.” “Thank you for what you do. I can’t wait to cheer you on in your future political endeavors, to watch you as you grow professionally, as you start families. I’m looking forward to continuing to be in touch with all of you,” she said. Porter was not immediately available for comment Tuesday evening.