MEET CAT PORTERFIELD

A smiling woman with long blonde hair sitting on a gray cushioned outdoor sofa, wearing a black and white checkered shirt, surrounded by colorful throw pillows, and working on a laptop.

I am an advocate. I go where problems need thoughtful solutions. I stand with those who believe in possibility — and want to work to make Virginia Beach an even better place to live.

A man, a woman, and a graduate in a green cap and gown outside on a sunny day, holding a diploma from Frank W. Cox High School. The graduate is in the center, with the man on the left and the woman on the right. Other graduates are visible in the background.

I was born in Chicago and returned to my roots in Virginia in 2012. I grew up in big cities and small towns in the South and nearly every corner of this country, minus the Pacific Northwest and New England. My childhood was shaped by constant movement. It was like growing up inside a Charles Dickens novel — only with jazz music and U-Hauls. 

From those challenges, I developed resilience and found strength. I learned to listen closely, to tell stories that matter, and to stand up — for myself, for my family, and for what is right. I didn’t inherit wealth, but I inherited a love of life, a passion for music, and a deep curiosity about people — their stories, their struggles, their expressions, and their dreams.

Today, I live in Seatack, a historic Virginia Beach neighborhood, with my husband Matt — a Navy veteran — and our son, Duncan, who will soon head off to college. We have two adult daughters and four grandchildren — three grandsons, including twin babies, a teenager destined for a Nobel, and a tween granddaughter who is all of these things.

A woman smiling and holding two babies in front of a decorated wooden wall with balloons, an owl, and bear pictures.

That’s why I’m running.

As a kid, I used to read the newspaper aloud to my father. That’s when I fell in love with the news — and when I discovered Rolling Stone writer Cameron Crowe, I knew I didn’t just want to read stories. I wanted to write them. As a journalist, I investigated corruption, covered crime, and comforted survivors of violence. I fought to expose a horrendous case of neglect and abuse against a young woman — and I made sure her story was told, even when political pressure said otherwise.

What keeps me going? Love. Music. Art. Friends. And most importantly, doing the right thing at the right moment. I believe in justice, in public service, and in the competence of regular people — the kind of people who’ve lived through hard times, work hard, and deserve to have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.  And above all, I believe you have a right to know.