U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell is suspending his campaign for governor of California, as he faces allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Swalwell says the allegations from at least four women are false. But he announced Sunday that he would take on that fight outside his campaign.
"I am suspending my campaign for Governor," Swalwell said on X. "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."
Swalwell, who had been gaining a series of influential endorsements, was seen as a possible frontrunner in the crowded field of Democratic candidates vying with Republicans in a heated primary, June 2.
After the allegations were reported in The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN on Friday, key backers of Swalwell started to distance themselves. Some prominent Democratic leaders called for him to exit the race. They included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
"I have read the San Francisco Chronicle's account and I am deeply distressed by its allegations," wrote Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a long-time Swalwell ally, on X. "I am withdrawing my endorsement immediately, and believe that he should withdraw from the race."
According to the reports in The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN — not independently confirmed by NPR — four women, most of them anonymous, gave accounts ranging from accusations of Swalwell assaulting them after they had been drinking to sending them inappropriate photos.
Some of the women worked for Swalwell and the allegations ran from 2019 to last year.
Swalwell initially declared in a video posted on X late Friday that "these allegations are flat false. And I will fight them."
In that video, however, Swalwell acknowledged that he had "made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife. And I apologize deeply for putting her in this position."
Hear it directly from me. These allegations are flat false. And I will fight them. pic.twitter.com/bQSlCquD1U
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 11, 2026
Swalwell, 45, has a wife and three children. He initially said he planned to take the weekend to spend time in private with his family.
Swalwell, who briefly campaigned for the White House in 2019, has been a fixture on cable talk shows as an outspoken opponent of often opposing President Donald Trump and his policies. He has represented a House district in the San Francisco Bay area for more than a decade. He was already not running for another term in Congress so he could mount a bid for governor.
One of Swalwell's Democratic opponents in the governor's race, former Rep. Katie Porter, urged him Friday to also immediately resign from Congress, before his term ends in January.
"[H]e has attempted to silence and retaliate against these victims," Porter wrote on X. "These allegations merit full investigations, and these women deserve the right to pursue justice."
On Saturday, Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said on X that she plans to file a motion "to expel Eric Swalwell from Congress."
By Sunday, some fellow Democrats said they would also support his expulsion.
It's unclear how Swalwell's departure will shake up the governor's race. Some Democratic leaders already feared a crowded pack of Democrats could split the vote, allowing Republicans to win the "top two" primary. If that happens, GOP candidates could advance alone to the general election in November. Swalwell suspending his campaign could help consolidate voters around another Democrat.
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