California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell has withdrawn from the state’s gubernatorial race and announced his departure from Congress after facing sexual assault allegations that surfaced earlier this week. The 45-year-old lawmaker denies all accusations against him.
Until recently, Swalwell was considered a top contender among Democrats seeking to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited and cannot run for a third consecutive term in the country’s largest state.
The congressman’s political future collapsed rapidly after the San Francisco Chronicle published a report detailing allegations that he sexually assaulted a female employee on two separate occasions – once in 2019 and again in 2024. According to the report, the woman claimed she was too intoxicated to provide consent in both instances and didn’t file police reports because she feared not being believed.
Additional allegations emerged when CNN reported that multiple women accused Swalwell of sending inappropriate messages and explicit photographs.
On Sunday, Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign, writing on social media: “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
By Monday, facing mounting pressure from both parties in Congress for his expulsion, Swalwell announced he would resign from the House on his own terms. He stated it would be unfair to his constituents to remain in office while dealing with these distractions from his congressional responsibilities.
Swalwell’s departure creates opportunities for remaining candidates to court his former supporters as the June 2 primary approaches without a clear frontrunner. Key Democratic competitors include former Representative Katie Porter and billionaire Tom Steyer, who previously ran for president in 2020.
The Republican side features Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News personality Steve Hilton, who has received President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
California’s unique primary system allows only the two highest vote-getters to advance to November’s general election, regardless of party membership. With seven established Democrats still competing, party leaders worry about vote-splitting that could potentially allow Republicans to claim both spots on the November ballot in this deeply blue state.
Although Swalwell has exited the race, his name will still appear on primary ballots due to timing constraints. The House Ethics Committee had initiated an investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations, though such inquiries typically end when members resign.
Swalwell hasn’t specified his exact departure date from Congress. Once he officially leaves, California law requires the governor to schedule a special election within two weeks of the vacancy.
The seven-term congressman, originally from Iowa, first won his House seat in 2012, representing a district east of San Francisco. He briefly pursued the presidency in 2019 before ending that campaign after several months.
During his congressional tenure, Swalwell served as a House manager during Trump’s second impeachment proceedings in early 2021 and participated in investigations examining connections between Trump associates and Russian officials while serving on the House Intelligence Committee.
