Swalwell Drops California Governor Bid Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

California Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell has suspended his gubernatorial campaign following sexual assault allegations and mounting pressure from fellow lawmakers and former staff members to resign from Congress entirely.

In a statement posted to X, Swalwell acknowledged making "mistakes in judgment" in the past while stopping short of addressing calls for his congressional resignation. He insisted the allegations against him were false and maintained that legal battles are a personal matter separate from any political campaign. His congressional office has yet to issue further comment.

The decision came just two days after the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN published reports in which a former district office employee accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters. Three additional women have since come forward with separate sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell has firmly denied all accusations.

Political pressure escalated quickly. Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, and Eugene Vindman all publicly called for his resignation on Sunday morning news programs. More than 50 of Swalwell's former staffers released an open letter echoing those demands, describing the allegations as serious and credible and stating that continuing in office while the matter remains unresolved would be an insult to those who served under him.

Legal scrutiny is also intensifying. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed it is investigating the sexual assault claims, while the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services referred allegations of illegal employment of a domestic worker to law enforcement for further review.

Several House members, including Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna, have signaled plans to file a formal expulsion motion if Swalwell does not voluntarily leave Congress.

Swalwell had been considered a leading candidate in California's open gubernatorial primary, which also features former Representative Katie Porter, billionaire Tom Steyer, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.