California GOP congresswoman not intimidated by ex-president's speech: 'Obama didn't win my district'

close

Video

Obama takes aim at competitive races in Orange County

Former president Obama is trying to help Democratic House candidate Katie Porter in California; Peter Doocy explains on 'Special Report.'

Just days after the Obama political machine revved back up for a midterm rally near her district, Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Calif., said she’s not intimidated.

“Obama didn’t win my district [in 2012] and people in this district don’t want to go back to the last eight years,” Walters told Fox News.

Voters in the 45th district have never elected a Democratic representative for U.S. Congress, but Democratic challenger Katie Porter believes feelings about the current president may convince voters to break with generations of Republican rule.

“They are concerned about Congress’ failure to provide a check and balance on the Trump administration and some of its most reckless policies,” Porter said. “I think people are looking for a congresswoman who isn’t afraid to lead, and won’t just rubber-stamp Trump’s agenda.”

Walters argued she’s already done enough to distance herself from the president on key issues.

“When the president makes decisions that I don’t agree with, I stand up to him,” Walters said.  “I don’t believe in the tariffs, I think it’s a tax on people and it hurts consumers.”

FULL MIDTERM COVERAGE AND RACE RATINGS

But the tax plan nearly all Republican lawmakers supported sits at the top of the list that Porter believes could propel her to a victory in this district with very high state and local taxes, because it caps state and local tax deductions.

“The Trump tax plan is going to fall very heavily on California families,” Porter said.  “It’s why most California Republicans voted no on that tax bill – Mimi voted yes.”

Walters, who calls Porter an “Elizabeth Warren socialist,” believes that tax reform bill is an asset, and not a liability, to her campaign.

“Small business owners that I talk to tell me that the biggest challenge they’re having right now is trying to find employees because they’re growing so fast,” Walters said. “So we are doing extremely well right now and we don’t want to go back to Obama years.”