Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) says she is stepping away from electoral politics after two failed statewide campaigns, announcing that she is “done for now” with campaigning — and instead plans to focus on becoming a book influencer on social media. “I’m done for now with politics and campaigning,” Porter said in a video posted to Instagram last week. “Stay tuned for book recommendations, book ideas and author content.” The former California congresswoman has rebranded one of her Instagram accounts as “Katie Porter Turns the Page,” complete with the hashtag “#Bookstagram,” saying she plans to devote the page to book recommendations, author interviews, and literary discussions. Porter later told the Sacramento Bee that she is “closing the door” on running for office. “I am closing the door on being a candidate,” Porter said. “I cannot foresee that path back.” Porter first rose to national prominence after flipping a Republican-held Orange County congressional district in 2018. A former student and protégé of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), she became known on Capitol Hill for using a whiteboard during congressional hearings to grill executives from major banks, pharmaceutical companies, and other corporations. Rather than seek re-election to the House in 2024, Porter launched a bid for the Senate seat previously held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. She finished a distant third in California’s all-party primary behind eventual winner Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey, failing to advance to the general election. She then entered California’s gubernatorial race but fared even worse, finishing fifth in this year’s primary with less than 5% of the vote after initially polling as one of the leading Democratic contenders. Porter’s gubernatorial campaign was dogged by questions surrounding her temperament after reports highlighted allegations of abusive treatment toward staff members. During the campaign, a video obtained by Politico showed Porter screaming at an aide during a virtual event while serving in Congress. “Get out of my f*cking shot!” Porter shouted after a staffer briefly appeared on camera before attempting to correct one of her statements. The incident followed earlier allegations that Porter had berated staff members, including reports that she blamed one employee for contracting COVID-19 in 2022, while she was still in the House. Porter later apologized for the outburst shown in the leaked video but argued that criticism of her demeanor reflected a double standard applied to female candidates. “I don’t know what I could have said or done other than be a man,” Porter told the Sacramento Bee. “We’ve also seen it is not hard to come up with female candidates for whom the term temperament has been used.” Despite stepping away from campaigning, Porter said she still plans to remain involved in public policy debates and civic education while focusing much of her public attention on books. “It’s partly a reference to a new chapter in my life, to change, but also to something I do a lot, which is turn the page when I’m reading,” Porter said of her new social media venture.