California Rep. Eric Swalwell, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and a fixture on the cable news circuit, is joining the crowded field of Democrats in the state’s open governor’s race.
“The next governor of California has two jobs. One: Keep the worst president in our history out of our homes, out of our streets and out of our lives,” Swalwell said in a campaign launch video. “And two: Bring us a new California.”
Swalwell appeared Thursday evening on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to announce his campaign to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Under Newsom, the Golden State’s top elective office has emerged as a powerful platform for Democrats seeking to take on Trump. Swalwell, who has represented a safe blue seat in the Bay Area for more than 12 years, has long burnished such an image. He was a manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial. He also filed a lawsuit against Trump over the president’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol.
Swalwell’s willingness to tangle with Trump has made him a frequent target of the president and his MAGA supporters. Last week, a White House official accused Swalwell of mortgage fraud and referred him to the Justice Department, a charge Swalwell dismissed as politically motivated.
“As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me,’’ Swalwell said in a statement.
Giving up a safe Democratic seat in Congress to run for governor represents a risk for Swalwell: The gubernatorial field already includes prominent Democrats such as former Reps. Katie Porter and Xavier Becerra (the latter also served as state attorney general and as Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration), former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Controller Betty Yee and state school superintendent Tony Thurmond. Earlier this week, billionaire investor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer also joined the race.
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla announced earlier this month he would remain in the Senate and forgo a gubernatorial campaign to succeed Newsom, who is precluded by law from seeking a third term.
Leading Republican contenders include Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton. Under California law, all candidates run on the same primary ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election.
Porter had been seen as a front-runner in the race, especially after former Vice President Kamala Harris ruled out a bid over the summer. But negative headlines over viral videos of Porter threatening to walk out of an interview and berating a staffer may have taken a toll on that status – a UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Times poll released earlier this month showed her dropping 6 points from August to 11 percent, trailing Bianco, who had 13 percent. No other candidate polled in the double digits.
Swalwell is no stranger to political risks. In 2012, as a member of the Dublin City Council, he challenged 20-term Democratic Rep. Pete Stark. He won by 4 points.
But the calculations don’t always pay off. Swalwell briefly sought the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, centering his campaign on a call for stricter gun laws and providing a voice for millennials. He launched his long-shot bid in April 2019 but dropped out in July.
In Congress, Swalwell serves on the House Homeland Security and Judiciary committees. In 2023, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Californian with whom Swalwell had had a frigid relationship, pulled him from his long-tenured spot on the House Intelligence Committee.
Since his initial victory, Swalwell has had no difficulty winning reelection from his East Bay district, currently numbered the 14th. His seat did not see any major changes under the new Democratic-drawn congressional map California voters approved in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
Swalwell’s high profile critiques of Trump have made him a target of attacks. In 2024, a man in Florida was arrested for threatening to kill Swalwell and his children in a series of voicemails left at his congressional office in Washington.
Niels Lesniewski and Victor Feldman contributed to this report.