Congressman Eric Swalwell dropped out of California’s governor’s race amid sex assault allegations by multiple women. The victims include current and former staffers.
The Democratic front-runner announced he suspended his campaign on Sunday night, days after saying he would not drop out of the race.
One former staffer said the Congressman from California behaved inappropriately with her and other young staffers. The ex-staffer said Swalwell raped her while she was heavily intoxicated. But the California House rep. denied the accusation.
Swalwell apologized to his wife Brittany Ann Watts, while saying the allegations are politically motivated to force him out of the race.
He ended his campaign after many Democrats withdrew their endorsements. According to reports, Swalwell was under “immense pressure” to suspend his gubernatorial campaign.
The San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report on the allegations from multiple women. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct with women between 2019 and 2024.
The women claimed Swalwell sent unsolicited and explicit text messages while making unwanted sexual advances.
But Swalwell denied the allegations in a video.
Hear it directly from me. These allegations are flat false. And I will fight them. pic.twitter.com/bQSlCquD1U
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 11, 2026
Political media personality Cheyenne Hunt said more women are coming forward to tell their stories.
Staffers in Swalwell’s congressional office and governor’s campaign are “horrified” by the allegations. They called on Americans to “stand with” the victims.
Swalwell’s decision to drop out has thrown California’s gubernatorial race into chaos. There is a “last-minute” scramble to find his replacement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office issued a statement, saying: “As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously.”
Swalwell was previously accused of being in a relationship with a suspected Chinese spy, Christine Fang.
One X.com user wrote: “Why is this worse than being chummy with Fan Fang, the Communist Chinese spy????”
Another user echoed Swalwell’s remark that someone wanted him out of the governor’s race.
“He slept with a Chinese spy named Fang Fang and endangered national security…and it was just fine for him to remain in the House of Representatives. They want him out of the governor’s race. Everything else is fiction.”