Another Democrat announced on Monday that she will exit the California gubernatorial primary race, just over a week after former Representative Eric Swalwell said he would end his campaign.

Betty Yee, a former state controller, announced she will be suspending her campaign. She was vying to be the first woman to hold the state’s highest office.

Yee lagged in fundraising and was unable to break into the leading tier of candidates in polling since announcing her campaign in 2024.

“It was becoming clear that the donors were not going to be there. Even some of my former supporters just felt like they needed to move on,” Yee said in an online news conference.

Why Did Swalwell End His Campaign For California Governor?

Swalwell left the race on April 12 after reports of sexual assault allegations surfaced. He has denied the allegations. He had been among the leading Democrats in the race.

Swalwell ended his campaign for governor following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, which were reported in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN. CNN also reported that several other women have accused Swalwell of sending them explicit messages and nude photos.

The Associated Press separately reported that a California woman said Swalwell raped her in 2018. Swalwell denied wrongdoing and said he would pursue legal remedies against what he called lies. 

The crowded race still has a ballot of over 50 names, with six Democrats and two Republicans leading. Yee and Swalwell cannot be removed from the ballot under state election rules at this stage of the campaign.

What Do Polls Show?

Multiple polls taken since Swalwell’s exit show Republican candidate Steve Hilton leading the race. The businessman and former Fox News host, who worked as director of strategy for former British Prime Minister David Cameron, has received the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

In an Emerson College poll that surveyed 1,000 likely voters in the California primary on April 14 and April 15, Hilton received support from 17 percent of respondents, while 14 percent backed Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Democratic candidate and businessman Tom Steyer received support from 14 percent of respondents. Democratic candidates former Representative Katie Porter and former Biden Health Secretary Xavier Becerra each received 10 percent; San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan received 5 percent; and 23 percent were undecided. 

In an Evitarus poll of 1,200 likely voters in the June primary election taken from April 15 to April 17, 16 percent said they would vote for Hilton. The poll found that 14 percent said they would vote for Bianco. The poll found that 13 percent said they would vote for Becerra, and another 13 percent said they would vote for Steyer. The poll found that 10 percent said they would vote for Porter. The remaining candidates each had less than 10 percent of respondents say they would vote for them, and 20 percent said they were undecided.

Updates: 4/20/26, 7:17 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press. 

Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.