Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat who has represented California in Congress since 2013, officially announced his campaign for governor on Thursday night, making his entry into a competitive and crowded race to replace termed-out Governor Gavin Newsom.
What he’s saying: Swalwell shared the news during an appearance on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and highlighted the high cost of living and fears among Californians as core motivations for his campaign, stating, “I’m running for Governor because prices are too high and people are scared.”
- Emphasizing his commitment to opposing former President Donald Trump, Swalwell remarked, “California’s next governor has two jobs. One, keep the worst president in history out of our homes, out of our streets, and out of our lives.”
- He drew attention to his active role in challenging Trump, saying, “A lot of candidates talk about taking on Trump. I’m taking him on in real time. My January 6 lawsuit is one of the only lawsuits against the President that survived his new presidency. Speaker Pelosi selected me to help lead his impeachment, and today, I’m leading the Democrats’ effort in the House to investigate January 6.”
State of the race: The Democratic field for governor is already crowded with several well-known political figures, including former Rep. Katie Porter, past Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who just joined the race himself this week.
- Other Democratic candidates include state Superintendent Tony Thurmond and former state Controller Betty Yee. There is currently no clear front-runner in the race, with all parties appearing together on the same primary ballot and the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election.
Driving the news: Swalwell, 45, rose to national prominence during Trump’s first term due to his involvement in both impeachment proceedings and his service as a House manager for the second impeachment trial.
- He briefly ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 but ended his campaign after only a few months, never polling above single digits.
- A vocal Trump critic, Swalwell has been targeted by the former president and his allies. They accused him of ties to a suspected Chinese spy in 2021—a claim he denied. A House Ethics Committee investigation concluded in 2023 with no findings of wrongdoing.
- Earlier this month, Swalwell faced a referral from a former Trump administration housing official for a potential federal criminal probe linked to mortgage and tax fraud allegations concerning a Washington, D.C. property. He is the fourth California Democrat recently to face such allegations.
