Porter campaign privately pitches Dems to look beyond Schiff’s money

Politics

In a recent private meeting with Democratic activists, Katie Porter’s campaign brass pitched them on her standing in the U.S. Senate race despite being walloped in early fundraising by fellow Rep. Adam Schiff.

The series of virtual discussions, which are bringing together donors and other party leaders and were described to POLITICO by participants, appear designed to build support for Porter’s campaign as well as demystify for Washington, D.C., insiders the political landscape in California where the race could come down to two Democrats. There’s also an element of giving her more hardcore supporters a new set of positive talking points to use in their evangelism.

But central to their utility is money. Among donors and some Democrats close to Porter, there’s creeping fear that Schiff’s sizable cash advantage and support from the likes of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could quickly harden the narrative with insiders that he’s the prohibitive frontrunner for 2024 — even if early public and private polls don’t actually bear that out.