Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell announced on Sunday he is suspending his campaign for California governor, following a series of sexual assault and misconduct allegations that he vehemently denies. The sudden departure marks a stunning reversal for a candidate once considered a frontrunner in the crowded field to replace Governor Gavin Newsom.
"I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made. but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s," Swalwell stated in a social media post, confirming his withdrawal from the race. He added he was "deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past."
The decision came just two days after the San Francisco Chronicle published a report detailing an allegation of sexual assault from a woman who formerly worked for the congressman. CNN later reported on the same allegation and spoke with several other women who accused Swalwell of various forms of sexual misconduct. The original accuser told the Chronicle that Swalwell assaulted her in 2019 while she was an employee, and again in 2024. She stated that in both instances, she was too intoxicated to give consent. The alleged 2024 incident is reported to have occurred in New York, prompting the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to open an investigation and urge anyone with information to contact its special victims division.
A rapid fall from grace
Swalwell’s exit dramatically reorders the landscape of the gubernatorial race less than a month before mail-in-ballots are sent out for the June 2 primary. Once gaining significant momentum and securing key endorsements from labour unions and congressional colleagues, his support evaporated almost overnight in the wake of the reports.
The allegations created a clear line of attack for his Democratic rivals, who had already begun targeting him as he solidified his position as a leading candidate. After the reports surfaced, many of his most prominent allies, including Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who was helping run the campaign, swiftly rescinded their support. Swalwell’s rivals were among the first to call for him to leave the race. California operates under a top-two primary system, where the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of their party affiliation. With a large number of Democratic candidates in the field, the party had been increasingly concerned about the possibility of vote-splitting, which could have potentially allowed two Republicans to advance. Swalwell's departure now leaves his rivals, including billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, scrambling to win over his former supporters and donors. The main Republican contenders include former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who has secured former President Trump's endorsement, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Similar issues have surfaced in San Diego, where hospitals see a sharp rise in ICE detainee patients.
Calls for resignation from Congress
The political fallout for Swalwell extends beyond his gubernatorial ambitions. A growing chorus of his Democratic colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives has called for him to resign his congressional seat, which he has held since 2012 representing a district east of San Francisco.
Fellow California Representatives Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna, and Sam Liccardo have all said Swalwell should step down. They were joined by Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, who stressed the non-partisan nature of the issue.
This is not a partisan issue. This cuts across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have been treated.
Some members of Congress have indicated they would support the rare and drastic step of expelling Swalwell from the House if he refuses to resign. Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida announced Saturday she would file a motion to begin the process. An expulsion vote is a serious measure, requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. It is a step the House has taken only six times in its history, most recently with the removal of Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 for misconduct.
Swalwell's career and what comes next
First elected in 2012, Swalwell, an Iowa native, rose to national prominence through his role as a House manager during President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial in early 2021. He also launched a brief, unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019, failing to gain significant traction with voters.
While Swalwell has made no public statements about resigning his seat, the pressure is expected to intensify. The House of Representatives is scheduled to return to session on Tuesday, at which point the question of his future in Congress could quickly come to a head. An official ethics investigation may also be on the horizon, further clouding his political career.
As the legal process in Manhattan unfolds and the political fallout in Washington continues, the once-promising trajectory of Swalwell's career has been fundamentally altered, leaving both his own future and the shape of California's political landscape in a state of uncertainty.
