Swalwell suspends campaign for California governor after being accused
of sexual assault
[April 13, 2026]
By BEN FINLEY and KATHLEEN RONAYNE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his
campaign for California governor on Sunday following sexual assault
allegations that he continues to deny.
“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but
that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” Swalwell said in a social media
post.
Democrats quickly abandoned him after allegations that he sexually
assaulted a woman twice, including when 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 leader contender in the
crowded race.
His exit from the race comes less than a month before ballots go out in
advance of the June 2 primary and as Democrats have been engaged in a
messy primary campaign. Swalwell's Democratic rivals were among those
who swiftly urged him to exit the race, but his support also cratered
among allies in Congress and labor unions who had endorsed him.
Some Democrats also urged Swalwell to resign his seat in Congress, but
he made no mention of that Sunday.
The 48-hour period marked a rapid reversal for a candidate who appeared
to be gaining momentum in the packed field to replace Democratic Gov.
Gavin Newsom, who can’t seek a third term.
Though Swalwell has denied the allegations, he has seemingly referenced
infidelity in multiple statements.
“To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for
mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he wrote. That followed a
video post on Friday where he apologized to his wife.
Swalwell's exit shakes up campaign
The accusations reordered a wide-open gubernatorial race that had
Democrats fretting the party’s large number of candidates could lead to
them getting shut out of the general election in November. That’s
because California has a top-two primary system in which two candidates
advance regardless of party.
Swalwell had become a clear target for his Democratic rivals as he began
to lock up institutional support. Some had seized on rumors of sexual
misconduct that circulated on social media for weeks before the
Chronicle's report.
His departure 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 major Republican contenders are former Fox News host Steve
Hilton, who has Trump’s backing, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad
Bianco.
The San Francisco Chronicle spoke to a woman who alleged Swalwell
sexually assaulted her in 2019, when she worked for him, and again in
2024. The woman said she did not go to police at the time of the
assaults because she was afraid she would not be believed. In both cases
the woman said she was too intoxicated 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 outlet named the woman, and The Associated Press has not been
able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer
declined to comment.
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California gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-CA appears
at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 7,
2026. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan
District Attorney’s Office said it's investigating. That office
urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division.
House colleagues call for Swalwell to resign
As Swalwell's campaign flailed 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 partisan issue,” Jayapal said Sunday. “This cuts
across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have
been treated.”
Some representative said they would support the rare step of
expelling him should he refuse to step aside.
It all added to the mounting political pressure on Swalwell, which
began with allies like Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez cutting
their support. Gomez had helped run Swalwell’s campaign and said he
was immediately ending his role.
With the House returning to session Tuesday, the question of whether
to expel Swalwell could come to a head quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina
Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday that she would be filing a motion to
start the process.
Expulsion votes in the House are rare and require a two-thirds
majority, but there is recent precedent for taking the step.
Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 became just 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
expelling Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an affair
with a former staff member 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 shuttered it a few months later
after failing to catch on with voters. He is perhaps best known
nationally as a House manager in President Donald Trump’s second
impeachment trial during his first term in early 2021.
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Associated Press journalists Sophie Austin in Sacramento, Calif.,
and Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Finley reported from Washington.
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