Democratic leaders urge Swalwell to quit governor race amid assault allegations

House Democratic leaders intensified the pressure on Eric Swalwell to leave California’s governor race after a San Francisco Chronicle report detailed assault allegations from a former staffer, and Swalwell later suspended his campaign as the fallout spread through Sacramento and Washington.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar called for a swift investigation and urged Swalwell to immediately end his bid for governor, while stopping short of demanding that he resign from Congress. Swalwell denied the allegations and said they were false and politically motivated. Democratic contenders Tony Thurmond, Matt Mahan and Betty Yee also called on him to exit the race, as did California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks, who said the allegations were deeply disturbing and that candidates should honestly assess whether their campaigns were viable.

The allegations centered on a former staffer who said Swalwell pursued her after she was hired in his district office in Castro Valley in 2019. She alleged that he sent inappropriate photos through Snapchat, requested nude photos and asked for oral sex. She also said that after drinks with Swalwell in September 2019, she woke up naked in his hotel bed with little recollection of the night. In a separate allegation tied to 2024, she said she met him for drinks after a charity gala in New York, became intoxicated and later woke up with vaginal bleeding and bruises. Texts reviewed by the Chronicle indicated she described that incident as sexual assault. CNN later reported that three other women also alleged misconduct, including unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign on Sunday, April 12, 2026, saying he would fight the allegations outside the campaign. More than 50 former Swalwell staff members had already urged him to resign from Congress and quit the governor race, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said it was investigating an allegation tied to an April 2024 incident in New York City. The backlash also reached his support network: the California Medical Association convened an emergency board meeting after putting more than $1 million into a pro-Swalwell committee, and the California Teachers Association suspended its endorsement.

The abrupt collapse reshaped a crowded Democratic primary with no clear leader in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom. Swalwell had been seen as a leading contender and had won backing from parts of the Democratic establishment before the allegations triggered a rapid erosion of support. His exit left rivals scrambling to consolidate the votes and endorsements that had been in play only days earlier.