Swalwell loses gubernatorial endorsements in light of sexual assault allegations

Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign faced a major blow on Friday as two co-chairs and several key backers withdrew their support following sexual assault allegations reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

A former staffer of his claims that Swalwell sexually assaulted her on two occasions — once in 2019 and again in 2024 — emphasizing that she was unable to consent due to being overly intoxicated.

Nonetheless, Swalwell issued a statement on Friday evening denying the claims.

“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor,” he wrote. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”

Late Thursday, an attorney for Swalwell issued a cease-and-desist letter to the accuser, labeling her claims of sexual assault and nonconsensual encounters as “false statements” and threatening legal action if the allegations were not retracted.

However, following the Chronicle’s initial report, the campaign’s stability crumbled as several allies rescinded their endorsements and called for the congressman to exit the race.

Representative Ted Lieu, (D-Calif.) wrote on X, “In light of the recent allegations against Representative Eric Swalwell, I am withdrawing my endorsement of his campaign for Governor.”

 

In light of the recent allegations against Representative Eric Swalwell, I am withdrawing my endorsement of his campaign for Governor.

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 10, 2026

Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) resigned as co-chair of Swalwell’s campaign as well, writing on the social platform X that Swalwell should “leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction or delay.” 

The fallout continued to intensify as the political wall around the congressman began to crumble. Representative Adam Gray (D-Calif.), Swalwell’s other campaign co-chair, resigned his post while publicly urging Swalwell to withdraw from the race.

 

The momentum of defections even spread to the Senate, where long-time allies Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) rescinded their endorsements. Notably, Gallego went a step further, labeling the allegations in the report as “indefensible.”

The campaign also lost its foothold with powerful institutional backers.

Major advocacy groups, including the California Medical Association and the California Teachers Association, took to social media to formally announce they were stripping Swalwell of their support.

 

The crisis deepened when CNN corroborated and expanded upon the Chronicle’s reporting, detailing allegations from four additional women who described various instances of sexual misconduct. As with the initial report, Swalwell has issued a blanket denial regarding these further claims.

Cheyenne Hunt, an attorney and former California congressional candidate, who is now the executive director of “Gen-Z for Change,” declared on X that she has been “working with a number of women who are in the process of coming forward and sharing their stories of sexual harassment and even alleged abuse at the hands of Eric Swalwell.”

The loss of Swalwell’s co-chairs, Gray and Gomez, along with the withdrawal of support from more well-known senators like Schiff and Padilla, signifies that the Democrat establishment is actively moving to distance itself.

In a deep-blue state like California, losing the “party machinery” makes it nearly impossible to maintain a viable statewide campaign, analysts say.