MEET CAT PORTERFIELD
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.
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.
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.
