California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter shocked America last year with her explosive reaction to a staffer during an interview went viral.

Now, with just one month until the June primary, she’s back in the news again for a similar moment — this time in a campaign ad she released referencing that outburst.

On Monday, the Porter campaign released a new ad showing her pushing a shopping cart in an attempt to relate to everyday Californians.

In the ad, she is seen claiming she has a minivan with 200,000 miles and a college-age child who is likely to end up back on her couch due to the job market, among other references.

The video ends with her standing in the middle of the frame, appealing to voters to choose her, as people stand behind her hold signs highlighting her campaign platform, including “No Racism,” “No Trump,” “No ICE,” and “Free College.”

Porter then immediately turns back and jokes, “Now could you guys please get out of my shot?”

When a reporter asked the California gubernatorial candidate why she chose to air that ad, she said it was intentional.

“I push a shopping cart and fill a minivan. You see that in the ad,” Porter said in an interview with Nexstar Media Group.

“But you also see somebody who’s taken responsibility again and again in this race and is also able to laugh at herself and show that she’s grown.”

“I think it’s important to show Californians who I really am. I’m someone who’s not like most politicians,” she added.

The representative from Orange County faced criticism in October 2025 after a tense interview with CBS News reporter Julie Watts, during which she pushed back on questions about appealing to voters who supported Donald Trump.

As the exchange grew heated, Porter raised her hands and said the questioning had become “unnecessarily argumentative,” adding, “I don’t want to keep doing this. I’m going to call it.”

The moment gained renewed attention alongside separate resurfaced footage showing Porter snapping at a staffer during a recorded meeting, telling them, “Get out of my fucking shot,” further fueling debate over her on-camera demeanor.

“I think that is a mark of leadership,” Porter said a year later after acknowledging her mistake. “I want to show people that.”

In the immediate aftermath of the video, she apologized, saying she could have handled it better.

“I took responsibility. When we did that interview — and more importantly, I took responsibility five years ago, too, and worked together with that staffer for four years after that,” Porter told Nexstar.

“The real Katie Porter is the one who’s been on the campaign trail for the last year, who has made apologies and has shown that she can do better,” she added.

Porter is currently polling in fifth place at 8–9% in an April poll of likely voters. Xavier Becerra is leading the Democratic field, tied with Trump-endorsed Republican Steve Hilton.

Mail-in ballots have reached Californians across the state, and the primary will be held June 2.

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