California — 48th District

Ferguson Porter, 43, a Democrat and comic book seller, is running for Congress representing inland North County cities, the San Diego County backcountry and parts of Riverside County in California’s 48th Congressional District.

Originally from Dallas, Porter now lives in Palm Springs.

The San Diego Union-Tribune emailed a series of questions to Porter and other candidates to help inform voters about their positions, priorities and plans if elected.

Porter said he did not use any AI tools in responding to the Union-Tribune’s questions.

1) Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate?

I am running to protect my community and destroy the Republican party. I understand the real problem with today’s politics. Politics is about gaining power to create good policy. Republicans understand this concept. Democrats don’t. Republicans only care about amassing power, and they are doing everything they can to hold onto power, whether it’s gerrymandering, stealing Supreme Court seats or preventing American citizens, particularly minorities, from voting.

Unlike the other candidates, I have put forth comprehensive, well-researched solutions for creating a new, expanded Supreme Court, expanding the House to ensure representation keeps pace with population growth and a nonpartisan solution to gerrymandering. Democrats can’t address Americans’ economic and financial needs if we are not in power. And taking the power back won’t be done just with voter turnout. Republicans are rigging the system and we need to unrig it. NOW!

2) What are the top 3 issues facing this district?

This district has been horribly gerrymandered because there is no law in place to prevent it. As a result, communities are split apart and the district is too divisive. I’ve been told multiple times that San Diego “won’t vote for a gay man in Palm Springs.”

It is too expensive to live anywhere in California (housing, gas prices, energy). We need to improve our energy and infrastructure systems, not just because of rising costs but also because of climate change.

3) What are the first 3 things you would do in your first/next term in Congress?

House reform to ensure expansion and prevent partisan gerrymandering. California is going to lose 4-5 seats after the next census. Income tax reform that collects more money from the ultra-wealthy and billion-dollar corporations. Use those funds to invest in transportation, energy, education, commerce and healthcare to lower the cost of living for everyday Americans. Fix our election system (campaign finance reform, expanded voting rights).

4) If your party wins control of Congress, what should be its first priority? If your party loses control of Congress, what should be its first priority?

This question is more or less question #3, but the collective priority should be using all our investigative and impeachment powers as leverage against Trump to enact legislation that he would otherwise never sign into law (raise taxes on the rich, minimum wage increase, my other answers in question 3, etc., etc.). If he won’t play ball, then we expose as much of his crimes and corruption as we can.

Democrats are already not in control of Congress and we haven’t been able to do anything.

5) President Trump has made cracking down on immigration a cornerstone of his administration, ordering widespread arrests and detentions of immigrants nationwide and directing military resources to a new military zone along the U.S.-Mexico border. What impact have these had on this district? What are your goals on immigrants, immigration and the border, and how would you pursue them if elected? What is your message to constituents who are immigrants?

I can tell you that a number of immigrants who work in and are part of our community have been scared at times to go to work. Fortunately, in Palm Springs, there has been a communication system to warn when ICE is hunting people at certain locations.

Immigration reform in this country has been outdated for decades, and it needs to be reformed to ensure a clear and easy path to citizenship.

My message is that I represent everyone in this district. Everyone! Even those who don’t vote for me, and especially those who don’t speak the same language as me. My responsibility is to make sure you are a welcome part of our community and that your freedoms are not being oppressed.

6) It’s been nearly two months since the United States began a war with Iran. Do you believe Americans are better or worse off for it? What should Congress’s role be? Would you vote to let the president continue the war beyond the 60 days after which congressional authorization is required?

America is clearly worse off for it. Prices are rising, and we are now an international laughing stock.

Congress has already abdicated its duty. And frankly, I’m skeptical that the system we have in place is actually capable of working with a president who is a tyrant who does what he wants and who is surrounded by loyal foot soldiers.

Hell no, I wouldn’t vote for it.

7) Recent jumps in the cost of fuel, food and other goods — combined with federal cuts to safety-net programs, new limits on certain federal loans and more — are squeezing residents already struggling with San Diego County’s high costs of living. What relief would you seek to offer, and how?

The price of fuel and food are going to continue to go up because of the oil shock from the illegal Iran war. The relief is to vote for Democrats so we can invest in more renewable energy and electric vehicles and even better public transportation, not to mention ending the war.

The same goes for federal loans and safety-net programs. Republicans don’t want people to have access to them. Democrats do. And we can better fund these programs by taxing the ultra-wealthy.

8) Like much of California, this district has been affected by the effects of climate change. How should Congress mitigate those impacts, and what would you do to pursue such efforts?

Investing in clean energy is paramount. Our national electrical grid is outdated. We are lightyears behind other countries in investing in solar and wind energy as well as electrical vehicles. Tax the rich and invest in us. (That’s a recurring theme of mine.)

9) Polling underscores that one chief concern of California voters in the 2026 midterm elections is the issue of threats to democracy. What do you believe are the greatest threats to American democracy? How would you, and how should Congress, protect against these?

The threats to democracy are playing out with the gerrymandering wars, the end of the Voting Rights Act and the Republicans’ ongoing battle against mail-in voting. It’s going to get worse.

I said before that politics is about gaining power to create good policy. If Democrats want to protect democracy, then we need to enact my plan when we are in the majority: Expand the House, control partisan gerrymandering, start over with a brand new and expanded Supreme Court, comprehensive campaign finance reform, expansion and changes to voting. Congress has the constitutional authority to address all of those issues.

10) Do you support a ban or restriction on congressional lawmakers and their families buying or selling individual stocks? Why or why not? And what would you propose to ensure lawmakers aren’t using their positions to engage in insider trading?

I support a ban on congressional lawmakers and their spouses and children from buying and selling stocks. No one should be getting rich on insider information.

Lawmakers’ investment accounts can be put in a blind trust.

11) By design Congress is supposed to serve as a check on the executive branch through budgetary, legislative and oversight powers. Do you believe that Congress has fulfilled that obligation in recent years? Why or why not? Should Congress do more to hold the president accountable? Explain.

I feel like you keep asking if Congress is doing its job. No! They aren’t.

They have bent over backwards to kiss Donald Trump’s ass and let him do what he wants. They have covered up his crimes with the Epstein files. They are now pushing a taxpayer-funded ballroom that nobody wants, just to appease his fragile ego.

12) A recent San Diego Union-Tribune poll found voters overwhelmingly disapprove of the job Congress is doing, by higher margins than they disapprove of the job Trump is doing. Why do you think this is? How can Congress win back voters’ hope and trust, and what would you personally do to achieve this?

The only way Congress can win back voters’ trust is to explain what their goals are and deliver on them.

My goal is to keep Republicans out of power for the next 10-20 years. That is the major step we must take so that we can truly help Americans. Our systems have been destroyed slowly for decades because of Republican malfeasance — education, healthcare, the economy, democracy, etc. It’s going to take time to repair and rebuild them.

Congress is supposed to help the American people. But right now Congress is being run by power-hungry fascists. Get rid of as many of them as we can so that the next Democrat-led Congress, myself included, can do our damn job.