I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan

An honest, inspiring, and laugh-out-loud funny memoir about re-energizing our politics and standing up to corporate America—while carting three kids around in a minivan.

Underestimated as a single mom and a first-time candidate, Katie Porter defied expectations in 2018 when she was elected to Congress, flipping a long-held Republican seat. Then, using her signature whiteboard, she began to take CEOs and corrupt government officials to task in congressional hearings. The videos went viral, introducing Americans to her no-bullshit style and making her a coveted guest on cable news and late-night television shows. 

I Swear is an honest, laugh-out-loud funny memoir about what it’s really like to serve in Congress while carting three kids around in a messy minivan. From growing up as an Iowa farm girl to becoming a law professor who fought big banks, Porter exposes the gaps between politicians’ press conferences and real people’s lives and reveals how telling the truth can reenergize our politics and government.

With the same clarity she demonstrates during congressional hearings, Porter makes the case for consumer protection, corporate accountability, and anti-corruption reforms. She pulls back the curtain on the political messaging machine, campaign fundraising, and congressional traditions, showing that the way things have always worked, in fact, does not work for a single mom, or for a lot of us. She gives whiteboard lessons on how to fight the corporations that cheat and how to conduct her trademark oversight to stop shenanigans in their tracks.

Full of candid and inspiring stories—from an overwhelmed Porter crying at a high-stakes political meeting to her kids’ lightly illegal campaign hijinks—this is a book by an exhausted, committed parent who just doesn’t have the time for nonsense in her house or in the House of Representatives.

About the Author

Katie Porter represents Orange County, California, in Congress. Prior to being elected in 2018, she was a law professor and consumer finance expert. Porter lives with her three school-aged kids in Irvine, California.

Author Residence: Irvine, CA/DC

Author Hometown: Fort Dodge, IA