Even if we vote differently, we all want a California that works for everyone.

Last week, Katie Porter, who is a Democratic candidate for California Governor in 2026, was interviewed by Julie Watts, a CBS California reporter. In this interview it is reported, by ABC7 New Los Angeles and several other new outlets, that Porter stopped and/or walked out of the interview.

My name is so low on the totem pole of potential candidates, that I will probably not be interviewed by the media. So this is the first post in a possible series of posts, taking questions from the other candidates’ interviews and answering them myself.

It’s a way for you to get to know my political side.

In the clip, Watts asks the former congresswoman what her message is to supporters of President Donald Trump who she will need in the election. 

My response would be:

I find that when I speak to Donald Trump supporters about politics, policy, or other party politicians, I get a lot parroting, or soundbites, not only from right-wing news entertainment sources but of each other. It often seems that they are not answering questions from the heart. I also get a lot of intense defensive anger projected on to me for even having a different opinion. I’m imagining that a lot of that is coming from fear.

This whole political era of Donald Trump has been based on a fear response. Fear of change. Fear of progress. Fear of imaginary enemies.

BUT, I find that when I talk to right-leaning people, or hard-core Donald Trump voters, instead of stating something I believe, I ask what it is that they are interested in, or what affects them, socially or in policy.

If I start the conversation that way, I find that there is actually a lot of common ground to stand on.

For instance, I have a right-leaning friend with whom I had lunch with this week. I told her about putting my name in to run for Governor. I also said that I thought it was funny that politicians who run for office will lead with the one policy issue that they base their whole campaign on.

In telling her that I had an opportunity a few weeks ago to tell a group of neighbors that I put my name in the political hat, one neighbor had asked me what my one policy issue would be. I blurted out “Education”.

My right-leaning friend, the one with whom I was having lunch, and who works in education, and I went down a rabbit hole of education policy in California. And you know what?

We agreed on almost all of the points we brought up.

Of course that is just one example. But I do think, in general, not in all cases, rather than a hard projection approach of my solutions on to a group of people, sometimes it’s better to ask what they think about the solution or if they have any ideas to make my solution even better.

So, to answer the original question, my message to Trump supporters would be:

We might vote differently, but that doesn’t mean we can’t think and work together to solve the issues in California that affect all of us, not just a few of us.