Swalwell Suspends California Governor Campaign After Sexual Assault Allegations

Representative Eric Swalwell of California announced Sunday evening that he was suspending his campaign for governor after a wave of sexual misconduct allegations published by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle triggered a cascade of abandoned endorsements, staff departures, and calls from fellow Democrats to resign from Congress. "I am suspending my campaign for Governor," Swalwell posted on X, adding that he was "deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment" but maintaining that the most serious accusations were "flat false." He said: "I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that's my fight, not a campaign's."

The allegations, published Friday, described Swalwell sexually assaulting a former congressional staffer on multiple occasions, including twice when she was too intoxicated to consent, and soliciting oral sex while she worked for him. Three additional women told CNN that Swalwell had engaged in inappropriate physical contact, sent unsolicited explicit messages on Snapchat, and kissed and touched them without consent. Swalwell has denied the accounts. The Manhattan District Attorney's office subsequently announced plans to investigate an alleged 2024 assault in New York City, escalating what had been primarily a political scandal into a potential criminal matter.

The collapse of the campaign was rapid and total. Campaign chair Representative Jimmy Gomez withdrew his support within hours of the reports' publication, as did Senators Ruben Gallego and Adam Schiff — the man Swalwell was hoping to succeed as one of California's top political figures. Major labor unions that had backed the campaign held emergency meetings and formally withdrew their endorsements. More than 50 former Swalwell staffers signed an open letter calling on him to drop out of the gubernatorial race and resign his House seat. California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks said Swalwell should step down from Congress.

Despite withdrawing from the governor's race, Swalwell's name will still appear on the June 2 primary ballot because he missed the deadline to remove it. His political difficulties may not end with the suspension of his campaign: Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida announced plans to force an expulsion vote in the House when Congress returns this week. Such votes are extremely rare — only five members of the House have ever been expelled, three for supporting the Confederacy during the Civil War and two after criminal convictions. An expulsion requires a two-thirds majority of members voting, meaning Democrats would need to join Republicans for the measure to succeed.

The Swalwell scandal is the latest blow to California's Democratic establishment ahead of the June primary. Governor Gavin Newsom, constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, had been neutral in the governor's race, which now features Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond as leading candidates. Swalwell had entered the race on a liberal platform emphasizing gun control and opposition to the Trump administration, and had been polling in single digits before the accusations effectively ended his bid.