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Launches Bid During Appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Pledges to “build a new California together: more affordable and full of opportunity for every family.”
LOS ANGELES, CA — Last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) announced that he is running for Governor of California, pledging to “be a fighter and protector” for California and focus on affordability, economic growth, and modernizing state government so it works better for everyone.
Swalwell, who currently represents California’s 14th Congressional District in the East Bay, made the announcement during a nationally broadcast interview taped earlier in Los Angeles. In his conversation with Jimmy Kimmel, Swalwell spoke about his record of taking on Donald Trump in Congress, his family’s deep California roots, and his commitment to focus on unlocking meaningful economic growth that lifts up working and middle-class families, not just those at the top.
Watch the Campaign’s First Video:
“I’m running for Governor because prices are too high and people are scared. 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. I will be California’s fighter and protector,” said Congressman Eric Swalwell. “The second job of Governor is to bring a new California. It’s great that we can say we are the fourth largest economy in the world. But what does that mean if you work your ass off and don’t have a stake in it? Nothing.”
Our state is under attack. The President has militarized our streets, canceled cancer research, zeroed out clean energy climate projects, and is chasing our immigrant friends and neighbors through their workplaces, kids’ schools, and houses of worship.
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.
He continued, “I’ve worked as a planning commissioner and city councilman in a place of low income and low expectations and helped lead my hometown to become one of California’s most prosperous cities. I’ll take that approach to the whole state. My priorities will be homes and jobs. The average first-time homeowner is 40 years old, and we have the highest unemployment rate in America.
My promise is this: if you work hard you should do better for yourself and dream bigger for your kids. That’s the new California promise.”
Swalwell’s campaign will center around the theme of a new California – one that delivers on its promise that if you work hard you should be able to prosper and dream bigger for your family, emphasizing optimism, results, and unity across California’s diverse communities. Swalwell enters a crowded field of candidates.
“Talk to an average voter, or political insider, and they would tell you the same thing — none of the current candidates for Governor are inspiring. That changes today with Eric Swalwell,” said Kate Maeder, general consultant and partner of KMM Strategies. “He is the right leader at the right time. His experience in the arena taking on Trump, his deep California roots, and his commitment to making our state more affordable will energize Democrats, which is what we need at the top of the ticket right now going into the midterms.”
Immediately following the announcement, the Swalwell campaign launched its new website — www.EricSwalwell.com — where supporters can learn more about his vision, volunteer, and contribute.
ABOUT ERIC SWALWELL
Eric Swalwell was raised in Dublin, California, by a police officer father and a small business owner mother. The oldest of four sons, he worked paper routes and construction jobs before earning a Division I soccer scholarship and becoming the first in his family to attend college.
After serving as an Alameda County prosecutor — where he led the Hate Crimes Unit — Swalwell was elected to the Dublin City Council, then to Congress in 2012. In the House, he has served on the House Intelligence Committee and currently serves on the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, and is the Ranking Member on both the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection and the Judiciary Select Subcommittee on January 6. He and his wife, Brittany, are raising their three young children under the age of 9.
ABOUT CA GOVERNOR’S RACE
Current Governor Gavin Newsom is termed out in 2026, leaving this an open seat and a wide open race. Congressman Eric Swalwell is the only candidate currently in Congress and the only one actively standing up to Trump. The Primary Election is June 2, 2026.
Website: www.EricSwalwell.com
Twitter / Instagram / Threads: @EricSwalwell