The California Democrat denied the claims, but pressure spread from the governor’s race to Congress within two days.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday after sexual assault allegations published two days earlier triggered a rapid collapse of political support, opened a criminal inquiry in Manhattan and brought fresh calls for him to resign from Congress.
Swalwell’s withdrawal jolted one of the country’s highest-profile 2026 races less than a month before ballots go out for California’s June 2 primary. The Democrat had been seen as a strong contender in the crowded field to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cannot seek another term. By Sunday, though, major allies had pulled back, fellow Democrats were urging him to leave office and the fallout had widened beyond the campaign to questions about his future in the House.
In a social media post Sunday, Swalwell said he was suspending his bid and trying to separate his political campaign from his personal defense. “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” he said. He also wrote that he was “deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment” in his past, echoing a video message he released Friday after the allegations became public. The reports, first published Friday by the San Francisco Chronicle and later detailed by CNN and other outlets, said a woman who once worked in his district office accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters, one in 2019 and another in 2024. The woman said she was too intoxicated to consent in both cases. Swalwell has denied the accusations and said they are false.
The political blowback came quickly. Democratic lawmakers including Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna, Sam Liccardo, Teresa Leger Fernández and Pramila Jayapal said Swalwell should resign from Congress, not just leave the governor’s race. More than 50 former staffers signed an open letter calling the allegations serious and credible and saying he should step down from both roles. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a California Democrat who had helped with Swalwell’s campaign, said he was ending that role. Sen. Adam Schiff and other allies also withdrew support. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the allegations should be investigated, and Pelosi said any such process should happen outside a gubernatorial campaign. Swalwell’s suspension announcement did not say whether he would keep serving in the House.
The allegations also changed the shape of California’s governor race. Under the state’s top-two primary system, the two highest finishers advance to November no matter their party, a rule that had already made Democrats nervous because so many prominent candidates were splitting the vote. Swalwell’s departure leaves rivals competing for his donors, endorsers and voters in a field that includes Democrats such as Katie Porter and Tom Steyer, along with Republicans Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. The California Democratic Party said the statutory deadline has passed to remove Swalwell’s name from the primary ballot, meaning voters may still see him listed even though he has halted active campaigning. He also is not running for reelection to his House seat, so the crisis now threatens both his statewide ambitions and his congressional future.
Legal and procedural pressure is building on several fronts. Because one of the alleged incidents was reported to have happened in New York in 2024, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it is investigating and urged anyone with information to contact its special victims division. On Capitol Hill, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, said she planned to move to start the process of expelling Swalwell from the House. Expulsion is rare and would require a two-thirds vote. Some Democrats, including Jayapal, Huffman and Leger Fernández, said they would support expulsion if Swalwell does not resign. Reuters also reported Sunday that federal immigration authorities were looking into separate allegations that Swalwell illegally employed a Brazilian nanny, though that matter is distinct from the sexual assault claims. Swalwell’s office did not immediately address that inquiry in public statements reported Sunday.
The speed of the unraveling stood out even in a volatile election year. Less than 48 hours earlier, Swalwell had signaled he would stay in the race and contest the allegations aggressively. By Sunday night, campaign allies had peeled away, labor support had cratered and colleagues from both parties were discussing whether he could continue serving in Congress. Jayapal, speaking on television Sunday, said the issue was not partisan but about how women are treated. Khanna said any member who abuses young staffers should not remain in office. For now, several major facts remain unresolved, including whether prosecutors will file charges, whether House leaders will open a formal ethics process and whether Swalwell will resign before lawmakers return for further action this week.
The race now moves forward without one of its best-known Democrats actively campaigning, but not fully without him: his name is expected to remain on the June 2 ballot, and Congress could face an early test over his seat as soon as this week. The next key milestone is whether House members act on expulsion efforts and whether the Manhattan inquiry produces new public steps.
Author note: Last updated April 13, 2026.