Support for California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter has experienced a dramatic collapse, according to a new poll, following a turbulent period where she nearly walked out of a television interview and old footage emerged of her shouting at a staff member.
Polling Plunge and a Republican Surge
The latest UC Berkeley survey, released on Friday, 7th November 2025, shows a sharp decline in backing for the former Democratic congresswoman. Only 11 percent of Golden State voters now support Porter, a significant drop from the 17 percent she commanded in August.
This slump has allowed her Republican rival, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, to overtake her. Bianco's support has grown to 13 percent, up three points from the summer. This shift could rekindle Republican hopes of capturing the governor's mansion for the first time in decades.
Commenting on the survey, Bianco told The Independent, "Californians are craving real leadership after eight years of [Governor Gavin] Newsom’s posturing and primping while so many are suffering. A new way forward begins in November 2026 when I am elected Governor."
The Incidents That Sparked the Backlash
The damaging poll follows two highly publicised incidents for Porter, who is one of nearly a dozen candidates vying to replace the term-limited Gavin Newsom in 2026.
In October, a sit-down interview with CBS News went viral after Porter became visibly flustered by questioning from journalist Julie Watts. When asked how she would appeal to the 40 percent of California voters who supported Donald Trump, Porter retorted, "How would I need them in order to win, ma’am?" She later accused Watts of being "unnecessarily argumentative" and came close to tearing off her microphone.
The controversy was further fuelled when Politico obtained footage from a 2021 online discussion. The clip showed Porter, then a congresswoman, yelling "Get out of my f***ing shot!" at an aide who briefly appeared on camera to offer a correction.
In response to the resurfaced video, Porter stated, "It’s no secret I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress," adding that she has "sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work."
Rival Reactions and the Road Ahead
Porter's behaviour has drawn fierce criticism from her competitors. Sheriff Bianco described her CBS interview as revealing her "entitlement" and "narcissism," while former California State Controller Betty Yee suggested Porter lacks the necessary temperament for high office.
Despite the recent challenges, the race remains wide open. The UC Berkeley survey, which polled 8,141 registered voters between 20th-27th October with a margin of error of about 2 percentage points, found that a substantial 44 percent of respondents are still undecided.
Porter also maintains a crucial advantage: she is still the frontrunner among Democratic candidates. A 19 percent plurality of Democrats support her, placing her ahead of Xavier Becerra, the former Health and Human Services Secretary, who has 13 percent support.
Mark DiCamillo, director of the survey, noted that Porter is "the leading Democrat among the various ones that are in there right now," but attributed this to a "political vacuum at the moment." He suggested that public attention has been elsewhere but that candidates can now begin to "rev up the public to pay attention" following the recent special election.
