U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) has declared that he is suspending his campaign for governor of California. This announcement follows recent sexual misconduct allegations, including claims of sexual assault, which have severely impacted his candidacy.
In his X post, Swalwell expressed, “I am suspending my campaign for Governor. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
The allegations came to light through reports by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN, with a former staffer claiming that she had sexual encounters with Swalwell during her time working for him from 2019 to 2021. She also alleged that he sexually assaulted her on two occasions when she was too intoxicated to give consent.
Eric Swalwell suspends his campaign for governor amid sexual assault allegations: pic.twitter.com/y2TZT52iLV
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) April 13, 2026
One incident is under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where the alleged assault took place in a hotel room in New York City. Additionally, CNN reported that other women accused Swalwell of sexual advances, with claims of him sending explicit messages and photos.
Swalwell has vehemently denied all allegations, asserting that he intends to take legal action against his accusers. He described these claims as “false” and suggested that they surfaced just before a critical election against him, the frontrunner for governor.
Before the scandal, Swalwell was leading the Democratic field for the open governor’s seat. Polls from sources like Emerson College indicated he was ahead of other candidates as the June primary approached.
Recent developments led to a significant decline in his campaign’s momentum, resulting in the loss of key endorsements and widespread staff resignations urging him to withdraw from the race.
