Eric Swalwell drops bid for California governor after sexual misconduct allegations

BREAKING NEWSApr. 13, 2026, 12:44 AM UTCElectionsElectionsEric Swalwell drops bid for California governor after sexual misconduct allegationsThe Democratic candidate faced widespread calls to end his campaign, with many supporters withdrawing their endorsements.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Fifty-five former staffers signed a public letter encouraging Rep. Eric Swalwell to drop out of California's gubernatorial race and resign from Congress.Jeff Chiu / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Kyla Guilfoil, Melanie Zanona, Scott Wong and Alexandra MarquezDemocratic Rep. Eric Swalwell on Sunday dropped his bid for governor of California days after a former aide accused him of sexually assaulting her.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content."I am suspending my campaign for Governor," Swalwell said in a post on X. "To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s."His statement follows a torrent of criticism from both sides of the aisle following a San Francisco Chronicle article published Friday in which the former staffer alleged she had sexual encounters with the congressman while working in his office and that he sexually assaulted her twice while she was too intoxicated to consent. NBC News has not verified her allegations but confirmed her identity and that she worked for Swalwell from 2019 until 2021.The Chronicle says it corroborated the former staffer’s story by reviewing text messages she sent to a friend three days after one of the alleged encounters, with the woman saying in a text that she told Swalwell to stop. The paper also interviewed her boyfriend at the time, who confirmed she told him about the alleged assault. Additionally, the paper’s reporters viewed medical records that showed she sought pregnancy and STD t...