US Representative Eric Swalwell announces run for California governor | California
Seven-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, known for his combative and persistent opposition to Donald Trump, announced Thursday night that he will run for governor of California.
His announcement came shortly after billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer entered the already crowded field to replace Gavin Newsom, who is nearing the end of his term.
Swalwell, 45, a former Alameda district attorney, rose to prominence due to his clashes with Trump; It’s a profile that could strengthen Trump’s appeal among Democratic voters, who in November overwhelmingly approved a new congressional map drafted as a way to check the president’s power ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Swalwell briefly sought the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and later served as the House impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial, which focused on Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
On Capitol Hill, he served for eight years on the House intelligence committee, including the CIA subcommittee, and was a key Democratic voice on national security and election interference issues. He is also a founding member of the Future Forum group, which aims to represent young voters in Congress.
Polls show there is no clear front-runner in the contest after former vice president Kamala Harris and California senator Alex Padilla declined to run. Former representative Katie Porter led the early polls but struggled to allay concerns about her temperament after she threatened to walk out of a local television interview and footage emerged of her berating a staff member. Porter later apologized for his behavior, but reports indicate Democratic strategists are looking for an alternative.
Other Democrats include former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state attorney general and U.S. representative Xavier Becerra and former state comptroller Betty Yee. The two most prominent Republicans running for governor are Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former David Cameron adviser Steve Hilton. Space could expand even further with developer Rick Caruso reportedly weighing a race.
California’s next governor will inherit a long list of structural challenges, including uncertain water supply, persistent gaps in public education, severe housing shortages and widespread homelessness. Meanwhile, the state continues to struggle with unemployment and poverty rates, rising costs of living and recurring budget deficits, leaving whoever wins the race with little time to adjust before facing major policy tests.
But since Trump returned to the White House in January, Democrats have demanded that leaders be willing to push back on the president’s agenda. With his strong social media presence and penchant for outspoken language, Swalwell will aim to use his anti-Trump credentials as a reference in the contest to lead the nation’s largest blue state.
Earlier this month, a Trump administration housing official referred Swalwell to the justice department for a possible federal investigation based on mortgages and taxes. Allegations of fraud that the representative denies. The official has made similar allegations against many perceived political enemies of the president, including Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, California senator Adam Schiff and New York attorney general Letitia James.
Swalwell also faced scrutiny over his alleged relationship with a suspected Chinese intelligence officer a decade ago. The House ethics committee later closed the investigation before any wrongdoing was found, but Republicans continue to use it as the basis for attacks against him.
