Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign goes up in flames amid sexual assault claims

Eric Swalwell.

U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell of California abruptly ended his campaign to become the next governor of California on Sunday night, roughly 48 hours after claims of sexual misconduct against him were made public. 

In a post on X, Swalwell confessed to family and supporters, "I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past," but maintained that the criminal allegations made against him were "false." Supporters swiftly abandoned Swalwell in the hours after the details of his accusers' claims became public late Friday evening. Contemporaries and interest groups who had backed Swalwell quickly pulled their endorsements, and 55 former Swalwell staffers signed an open letter calling on him to resign from Congress and end his campaign in the wake of the allegations. 

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, one unidentified woman claims Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019 while she was a member of his staff. She said he assaulted her again in 2024, when she was no longer working for him, and claims in both cases she was too drunk to have given consent. Swalwell has also been accused of sending lewd photos of himself to women unsolicited. 

Ally Sammarco, a social media content creator said in 2021, while she was looking for a job on Capitol Hill, Swalwell sent photos of his penis to her over Twitter, which she told ABC News made her feel "gross." CNN also spoke with a woman, whose identity was concealed but appears to be the same woman in the San Francisco Chronicle report, about her experience with Swalwell.

Some recent polls have shown Swalwell as the top-polling Democrat in the closely-watched California governor's race, which is currently being led by Republican Steve Hilton. Swalwell's abrupt exit puts another Republican, Chad Bianco, in prime position to finish second in California's primary on June 2. Only the top two finishers in the primary advance to the general election in November, all but guaranteeing a Republican becomes the next mayor of the Golden State. The last Republican to be governor of California was Arnold Schwarzenegger, who served two terms. "The Governator," as he was nicknamed, finished his second term in 2011.

Swalwell has faced other controversies in his past, including being tricked into a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy. And he once went viral after a moment of audible flatulence during a live appearance on MSNBC, but he has largely emerged from those controversies unscathed. As Congress returns to D.C., this week, the House is preparing to hold a vote on whether to expel Swalwell, meaning the abandoned campaign would be just the first shoe to drop. Rumors that sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell were coming began brewing online early last week. Below, watch a clip of one of Swalwell's accusers.