Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaking at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., last week
Rich Pedroncelli/FR171957 AP
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Rich Pedroncelli/FR171957 AP
U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell is suspending his campaign for California governor amid allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. Swalwell says the allegations by at least four women are false. But he announced Sunday that he would fight the fight outside his campaign.
“I am suspending my campaign for governor,” Swalwell said on Twitter.
Swalwell, who was receiving many influential endorsements, Was seen as a potential pioneer On June 2, the crowded field of Democratic candidates was facing a fierce primary race with Republicans.
after the allegations surfaced San Francisco Chronicle And cnn On Friday, Swalwell’s key supporters began distancing themselves. Some? prominent democratic leaders He was asked to withdraw from the race. They included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“I have read the San Francisco Chronicle’s statement and am deeply distressed by its allegations.” Sen. Adam Schiff wrote (D-CA), Swalwell’s longtime ally, on X. “I am immediately withdrawing my endorsement, and I believe he should withdraw from the race.”
According to reports San Francisco Chronicle And CNN — not independently confirmed by NPR — said four women, most of whom are anonymous, accused Swalwell of ranging from attacking them after drinking to sending them inappropriate photos.
Some of the women worked for Swalwell and the allegations spanned from 2019 to last year.
Swalwell initially announced in a video posted on Twitter late Friday that “These allegations are absolutely false. And I will fight them.”
However, in that video, Swalwell acknowledged that he “has made mistakes in decision-making in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife. And I deeply apologize for putting her in this position.”
Swalwell, 45, has a wife and three children. He initially said he planned to spend personal time with his family over the weekend.
Swalwell, who briefly campaigned for the White House in 2019, has frequently appeared on cable talk shows as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump and his policies. He has represented one house District in San Francisco Bay Area For more than a decade. He was not already in the running for a second term in Congress, so he could make a bid for governor.
Former Rep. Katie Porter, one of Swalwell’s Democratic opponents in the governor’s race, on Friday urged him to immediately resign from Congress before his term ends in January.
“(H)e have attempted to silence these victims and retaliate against them,” porter wrote on x. “These allegations deserve a thorough investigation, and these women deserve the right to justice.”
On Saturday, Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna said on x That she plans to file a resolution “to expel Eric Swalwell from Congress.”
By Sunday, some fellow Democrats said they would also support his removal.
It’s unclear how Swalwell’s departure will change the governor’s race. Some Democratic leaders were already worried about overcrowding democrats can split votesWhich allowed the Republicans to win the “top two” primary. If that happens, the GOP candidate could go it alone in the November general election. Swalwell suspending his campaign could help voters rally around other Democrats.
