Who we are
We are Katie's friends and neighbors. In 2017, angered and energized by the election of Donald Trump, we laced up our tennis shoes, charged our phones, and opened our checkbooks to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.
That's when many of us met Katie for the first time. At the epicenter of several of 2018’s most hotly contested Congressional races (and hotly contested primaries) we were lucky to see Katie up close. We saw her tenacity, her brilliance, her grit.
Then, in Congress, we saw her hold powerful institutions accountable. We saw Katie — and her whiteboard — demystify complex problems and win fans across America. She took DC by storm and became a powerhouse progressive leader right in front of our eyes.
We know Katie will continue California's tradition of sending strong, smart, powerful women to the US Senate. We are all in to support her campaign and we hope you will be, too.
What we are doing
Katie says she "doesn't do Congress the way other people do Congress". Well, we aren't going to do a superPAC the way other people do a superPAC. There are no smoke-filled rooms or high-priced DC lobbyists here. We are funded by Katie’s neighbors, not corporations. We are going to operate with transparency to make sure we utilize every dollar we can to support Katie's campaign.
What does that mean? We’ll figure that out when the race unfolds. It might mean introducing Katie by radio and mail in the Central Valley, or leading organizing efforts in Oakland or Riverside or Fresno. Here’s what we know: The big corporations, billionaires, and special interests are terrified of Katie Porter. But we’re here to fight for Katie. We’ve got her back!
Why Us
Simply put, we know Katie best. She's from our community. Our kids go to the same gyms and playgrounds. Our families go to the same restaurants and coffee shops. We know Katie's story because in so many ways, it's our story too. We are fired up to send Katie to the Senate and we stand by ready to support her campaign across California. We hope you’ll join us!
MEET OUR TEAM
WHITEBOARD was founded by Lara Horgan, the former Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County. Lara has been instrumental in Democratic gains across Orange County since 2018 including the historic events flipping 4 Orange County congressional districts. During her time as Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County, Democratic registration overtook Republican registration for the first time in history. Lara oversaw fundraising operations for the Democratic Party of Orange County's annual fundraising dinner and served on the National Finance Committee for Amy Klobuchar's Presidential campaign.
Lara has been one of Katie Porter's strongest supporters in Orange County since 2018 as a fundraiser and activist.
WHITEBOARD is proud to have retained nationally recognized strategists to guide our efforts to elect Katie Porter to the Senate, including Michael McLaughlin, who led the team that defeated 30 year incumbent Dana Rohrabacher in the most expensive Congressional race in history at the time and served as National Field Director for Amy Klobuchar's 2020 Presidential campaign, Tracy Austin, a California based fundraising consultant with past clients including Governor Gavin Newsom, HHS Secretary Xavier Baccera, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragosa and Kari Chisholm, a digital strategist to progressive champions across the country, including Senator Jeff Merkley and Congressman Andy Kim.
