\n<\/p>\n
The crowded race to replace California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has been described as a \u201cmosh pit\u201d after Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) dropped out following a series of sexual assault allegations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Swalwell faced several accusations ranging from inappropriate behavior<\/a> to sexually charged messages to at least one claim of rape.<\/a> The Bay Area congressman denied those charges, calling the allegations, which surfaced late Friday afternoon, \u201cabsolutely false.\u201d <\/span>They were first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Over the weekend, Democrats nationwide yanked their endorsements and threatened to expel Swalwell from Congress. On Sunday night, Swalwell ended his gubernatorial campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI am suspending my campaign for Governor,\u201d Swalwell announced in an X post. \u201cTo my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I\u2019ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made \u2014 but that\u2019s my fight, not a campaign\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I am suspending my campaign for Governor.<\/p>\n To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I\u2019ve made in my past.<\/p>\n I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made \u2014 but that\u2019s my fight, not a campaign\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u2014 Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Swalwell\u2019s exit from the race scrambles a crowded field of Democratic and Republican candidates hoping to advance to the November general election.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at USC and UC Berkeley, said there is still no clear frontrunner.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe primary was already a mess; now it\u2019s turned into a mosh pit,\u201d Schnur said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSwalwell had appeared to be gathering some momentum over the last few weeks, but now it appears that they\u2019re back to square one,\u201d Schnur said. \u201cEven before this controversy, there was no precedent in modern California politics or a gubernatorial primary that is this crowded or without a frontrunner so close to the primary.\u201d<\/p>\n The Daily Wire previously reported<\/a> on a California Democratic poll showing the two Republican candidates still leading the race for governor, with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton each receiving 14% of likely voters.<\/p>\n Swalwell led the Democratic field with 12% support, followed closely by billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer at 11%. Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) trailed with 7%, while the remaining four Democratic candidates each registered 4% support or less. Other Democrats in the race include former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former state Controller Betty Yee, state schools Supt. Tony Thurmond, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.<\/span><\/p>\n Porter and Steyer \u201cappear best positioned to benefit\u201d from Swalwell\u2019s exit, Schnur said, but he cautioned that Democratic candidates who focus solely on President Donald Trump are unlikely to break through.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe overwhelming majority of California voters hear their sentiment about the president, but that\u2019s really not much of a differentiator in a crowded field,\u201d Schnur told The Daily Wire.<\/p>\n Internal polling from the Porter campaign and Steyer campaigns suggests the former congresswoman stands to gain a large share of Swalwell\u2019s support.<\/span><\/p>\n On the Republican side, President Trump endorsed Hilton, but the California Republican Party failed to reach a consensus<\/a> during its convention over the weekend.<\/p>\n Under California\u2019s \u201cjungle primary\u201d system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November regardless of party.<\/p>\n California\u2019s primary election is set for June 2, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n