Huffman urges Swalwell to quit governor race, resign from Congress

North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman escalated the pressure on Eric Swalwell by calling on the East Bay Democrat to drop out of California’s governor race and resign from Congress, a move that deepened the party fight around an already crowded June 2 primary.

The demand landed as California voters were only weeks from seeing ballots. State officials said military and overseas voters could get theirs as early as April 3, and counties had to begin mailing ballots to everyone else no later than May 4. With Gov. Gavin Newsom term-limited and unable to run again, the open race had already drawn 10 officially filed candidates, including eight Democrats and two Republicans.

Huffman’s intervention mattered because he is not just another critic. As Humboldt County’s voice in Washington, he carries weight among California Democrats who are trying to shape the field before voting starts in earnest. His move also signaled that the fallout around Swalwell had spread well beyond Sacramento and the Bay Area, where party leaders were already trying to contain it.

The controversy began after San Francisco Chronicle reporting said a former Swalwell staffer accused him of sexually assaulting her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent. Swalwell denied the allegations, and his attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to the accuser. House Democratic leadership called on him to end his gubernatorial campaign, but initially stopped short of demanding that he leave Congress.

Other Democrats went further. Ro Khanna, Sam Liccardo and Huffman called for Swalwell to resign from Congress, while Tony Thurmond said Swalwell should step down from the House as well. Teresa Leger Fernández and Pramila Jayapal also joined the call for him to exit the race and leave Congress. An open letter later signed by more than 50 former Swalwell staffers urged him to do both.

The stakes extend beyond one candidate’s future. California’s top-two primary system sends the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, to the general election, and previous gubernatorial top-two contests have not produced two candidates from the same party in November. With Democrats already divided across a broad field, party strategists have warned that a splintered vote could open the door for a Republican advance.

Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor on April 12, but the political damage had already spread across the Democratic field. For Humboldt County Democrats and North Coast allies watching one of the state’s most influential primaries, the episode underscored how quickly a single controversy can reorder a race that will shape California’s next governor and the balance of power inside the party.