At a tavern in Santa Ana, about 20 people watched a town hall on Thursday, May 11. The town hall was held by the California Working Families Party and the two candidates for California’s open U.S. Senate seat, Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee spoke during it. Many attendees at the tavern waved green and yellow pompoms in support of Lee. A spokesperson for Rep. Adam Schiff’s campaign reported that the Democratic candidate was unable to attend the town hall because of a timing issue.
The town hall was broadcasted to numerous locations all over the state, including Santa Ana and Fullerton. In the small group of people in front of the television was Mia Verdin, a student from Santa Ana High School, who stated that she went to stay updated about what was going on in her state. Verdin, who will begin studying ethnic studies and political science at UC Berkeley this fall, mentioned that she met Lee, a Democrat from Oakland, at a town hall event in Anaheim. And while she said “It’s cool that both of the main candidates are women,” Lee is the candidate who Verdin feels best represents her community.
Carolina Mendez, a local Anaheimer and previous digital planner for the Working Families Party of California, expressed that the town hall was about “encouraging individuals to feel equipped to settle on choices.” Lee, being the first one to speak, announced her support for universal income and her commitment to those who are living in poverty. Lee also criticized the absence of variety in the American Senate, expressing that the viewpoint through which she needs to approach issues at this moment does not exist in the Senate.
Porter, who is a Democrat from Irvine, discussed her experience as a single parent and how it can lead to eviction and rental discrimination. She emphasized that resolving the housing affordability crisis would be one of her main goals if she is elected to the U.S. Senate. Porter also discussed Title 42, a policy enacted during the coronavirus crisis which allowed the U.S. to reject asylum seekers at the border and which concluded Thursday.
Alex Mohajer, a resident of Irvine who is running for the state Senate, expressed his “loyalty” to Porter, who is currently his representative in Congress. However, Lee was his congresswoman when he was a student at Berkeley and protested the Iraq War. Mohajer stated that he is still undecided but believes that both of them will be progressive champions of their constituents.
Porter declared her intention to run for the U.S. Senate in January, prior to Senator Feinstein’s public announcement of her retirement. Porter was originally elected in 2018, beating out incumbent Mimi Walters. She is currently in her third term in the House of Representatives. In 2024, Porter will be competing with Democrats Adam Schiff and Lee as well as a number of other minor candidates.
Lee, who chose to campaign for the U.S. Senate after Feinstein’s announcement of retirement, is the representative of the 12th congressional district located in the San Francisco Bay Area. She became a member of the House in 1998 and is the most senior Black woman to be appointed to a House Democratic leadership position.
At an event hosted by the California Labor Federation earlier in the week, Schiff stated that if elected to the U.S. Senate, his primary objectives would be to eliminate the filibuster and enact the PRO Act, which would make it simpler for employees to organize into unions. The California Working Families Party, a branch of the national Working Families Party, has been established in the past year with the contribution of over 40 state community, labor, and political organizations. The California group has six regional sections, such as Orange County, San Diego, and Los Angeles.
