Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell has bowed out of his bid for California governor after multiple women accused him of sexual assault.
“I am suspending my campaign for Governor,” Swalwell, 45, wrote in a post on X on Sunday night. “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," he concluded.
The allegations first came to light on Friday, after the San Francisco Chronicle published a former staffer’s claim of how the congressman had sexually assaulted her in a New York City hotel room in 2024.
The unnamed staff member, who said she worked for Swalwell from 2019 until 2021, told the local newspaper that she had been too inebriated to consent to the encounter, and that Swalwell did not listen when she tried to refuse his advances.
The Chronicle said it corroborated the former staffer’s story by analyzing medical records, reviewing text messages, and interviewing her boyfriend at the time.
Swalwell told the paper in a statement that her allegations were “false.”
A CNN report that followed soon after on Friday detailed how three more women also accused the California Democrat of sexual misconduct, in addition to the former staffer’s story.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said on Saturday that it had opened an investigation into the allegations of sexual assault against Swalwell.
Swalwell, who is married and has three children, has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “false” and “outrageous.”
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” Swalwell told CNN in a statement. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public – as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
In a video posted to social media on Friday, Swalwell said the allegations were “flat false.”
Several of the California lawmaker’s aides jumped ship from his campaign before the allegations were even published, according to Politico.
On Sunday, more than 50 former staffers of Swalwell called for him to drop his bid for governor and resign from Congress over his alleged misconduct, The New York Times reported.
“No one is above the law,” the former employees said in a written statement. “Not a congressman. Not a candidate for governor. No one.”
“Justice is not optional,” the employees’ letter continued. ”Accountability is not negotiable. We will not be silent.”
Multiple Democratic allies who had initially endorsed Swalwell revoked their support after the allegations came to light.
Among the congressman’s colleagues who rescinded their endorsements were fellow California Rep. Jimmy Gomez, California Senator Adam Schiff, Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability,” Pelosi said. “As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”
The Democratic primary for the state’s governorship, which is set for June 2, is now even more unclear, as Swalwell’s departure eliminates the race’s primary frontrunner.
Since Friday’s allegations, the congressman has yet to announce whether he will resign from his position in the House.
