Swalwell Withdraws from Gubernatorial Race Amid Allegations
Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell has decided to withdraw from the race for California governor, following serious allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against him.
On Sunday, Swalwell made a post on X announcing, “I am canceling my gubernatorial campaign. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I deeply apologize for the errors in judgment I made in the past.”
Just days prior, he had directly denied the accusations. In a video shared on social media, he stated, “These sexual assault allegations are completely false… They didn’t happen. They never happened and I will fight them with everything in my power. They also came on the eve of the election that made me the front-runner for governor of California.” But by the time he announced his campaign withdrawal, he reaffirmed his belief that the charges were baseless.
Swalwell issued a further apology, saying, “I intend to fight against the serious false allegations that have been made, but that is my fight, not my campaign.”
The allegations first emerged from a former staffer who accused Swalwell of assaulting her on two occasions when she was heavily intoxicated and unable to consent. This revelation led to significant fallout, as several key supporters, including a U.S. representative and a co-chair of his campaign, retracted their support.
The scandal became public on Friday, when a news outlet reported that the former employee alleged Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019 and again in 2024, both instances while she was intoxicated. The outlet noted that it reviewed text messages and medical records related to the incidents.
Additionally, CNN later reported that three more women have accused Swalwell of various forms of sexual misconduct, including unwanted advances and sending explicit messages. Following these developments, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) announced her intention to introduce a motion to expel Swalwell from the House, with other members of Congress calling for his resignation as well.
