SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor Sunday after sexual assault allegations he continues to deny.
“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made – but this is my fight, not a campaign,” Swalwell said in a social media post.
Democrats quickly abandoned him after allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including while she worked for him, were published Friday in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN. The reports came as Swalwell began to emerge as a leading contender in the crowded race.
His exit from the race comes less than a month before ballots go out ahead of the June 2 primary and as Democrats are embroiled in a messy primary campaign. Swalwell’s Democratic rivals were among those who quickly called for him to drop out of the race, but his support also faded among allies in Congress and the labor unions that had supported him.
Some Democrats also called on Swalwell to resign his seat in Congress, but he did not mention that on Sunday.
The 48-hour period marked a quick turnaround for a candidate who appeared to be gaining momentum in the crowded field to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cannot seek a third term.
Although Swalwell has denied the allegations, he has apparently referred to infidelity in numerous statements.
“To my family, staff, friends and supporters, I am deeply sorry for the lapses in judgment I have made in my past,” he wrote. This followed a video post on Friday in which he apologized to his wife.
Swalwell’s exit shakes up the campaign
The allegations reshuffled an open gubernatorial race that had Democrats worried that the party’s large number of candidates could keep them out of the general election in November. That’s because California has a two-candidate primary system, in which the two candidates advance regardless of party.
Swalwell had become a clear target for his Democratic rivals as he began to shut down institutional support. Some had seized on rumors of sexual misconduct that had been circulating on social media for weeks before the Chronicle’s report.
His exit from the race will leave his rivals scrambling to win over his supporters and donors. Other prominent Democrats in the race include billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter. The leading Republican contenders are former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who has Trump’s support, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
The San Francisco Chronicle spoke with a woman who claims Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019, when she worked for him, and again in 2024. The woman said she didn’t go to the police at the time of the attacks because she was afraid she wouldn’t be believed. In both cases, the woman said she was too drunk to consent to sex. CNN reported on allegations that appeared to come from the same woman and spoke to several other women who accused Swalwell of other sexual misconduct.
Neither media outlet named the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.
The alleged 2024 incident took place in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it is investigating. That office asked anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division.
House colleagues are calling for Swalwell to resign
While Swalwell’s campaign failed over the weekend, fellow California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, as did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.
“This is not a party issue,” Jayapal said on Sunday. “It crosses party lines. And it’s depraved in the way women have been treated.”
Some representatives said they would support the rare step of deporting him if he refused to step down.
It all added to mounting political pressure on Swalwell, who began with allies like Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez withdrawing their support. Gomez had helped run Swalwell’s campaign and said he was ending his role immediately.
With the House back in session on Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could be resolved quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday she would file a motion to start the process.
Disqualification votes in the House of Representatives are rare and require a two-thirds majority, but there is recent precedent for taking that step.
Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 became only the sixth member in House history to be ousted by colleagues for his conduct.
Huffman, Jayapal and Leger Fernández said they would vote to expel Swalwell from the House, though they said they also support impeaching Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide.
Swalwell, who is originally from Iowa, was elected in 2012 and represents a House district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential run in April 2019, but ended it a few months later after failing to capture voters. He is perhaps best known nationally as the House manager in President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial during his first term beginning in 2021.
By BEN FINLEY and KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press
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