Hi John, it's Katie.
Today, I wanted to share why I decided to start Truth to Power. But before I do, I have an important request to make:
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In order to understand why I started Truth to Power, we need to go back to before I even ran for Congress.
I had spent my career as a consumer protection attorney. In 2011, I had been appointed by then Attorney General of California Kamala Harris to be the lead watchdog over our state’s five largest banks during a mortgage settlement that helped keep 11,000 Orange County families in their homes. I saw firsthand how big companies and powerful special interests were taking advantage of families.
Then, after the 2016 election, I heard plenty of people around me lamenting about Donald Trump. But nobody was talking about our congresswoman—who consistently voted with him. I felt like challenging her was a real opportunity to help Orange County families and hold special interests accountable.
I was definitely considered a “long shot” candidate. I was a single mom who had never run for elected office, running against an incumbent Republican—in a district that had always been red.
Now, as I look back at that first race, it’s clear that one thing was the key to my victory: early grassroots support.
Fast forward to 2020: I knew that the 2020 elections would be one of the most important elections of our lifetime, and that we needed to elect more bold, progressive members to Congress to fight for working people. New candidates need financial support to get their campaigns off the ground, but getting started isn’t easy—especially for candidates who don’t want to rely on corporations.
That’s where Truth to Power comes in. We support progressive challengers and help set them up for success. We prove that candidates who unapologetically stand for working families and progressive values can win elections, many times over. In 2020—our first election cycle—we sent six powerful Truth to Power candidates to join me in Washington.
Now, we’re building the framework for a strong 2022 election cycle. We need to elect more progressives to Congress so we can continue the fight for affordable health care, climate action, and an economy that works for working people.
I am so grateful for this entire community. Thank you for being on our team,
Katie Porter
