California Rep. Eric Swalwell's campaign for governor unraveled in a matter of hours on Friday after a former staffer accused him of sexual assault, prompting his most prominent supporters — including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, powerful labor unions, and the two congressmen chairing his campaign — to withdraw their backing and call on him to leave the race.

Swalwell, a Democrat who had been considered one of the leading candidates in the crowded field to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, denied the allegations and suggested they were politically motivated. But the speed and scale of the fallout left his campaign in ruins less than a month before mail ballots go out for the June 2 primary.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a woman accused Swalwell of sexually assaulting her on two occasions — once in 2019 when she worked in his congressional office, and again in 2024 after a charity gala. The newspaper said it had reviewed text messages related to the 2024 allegation and spoken to people the woman had told about both incidents. She told the Chronicle she did not go to police because she feared she would not be believed. CNN subsequently reported that three additional women had accused Swalwell of other forms of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell's Response

Swalwell issued a statement denying the accusations and framing them as an attack on the frontrunner in the governor's race.

"These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor," he said. "For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies."

His attorney, Elias Debaie, confirmed he had sent at least one cease-and-desist letter to the accuser and called the allegations "baseless." In a subsequent statement after the CNN report, Debaie questioned the timing, saying the firm wanted "to understand why these allegations would suddenly arise on the eve of an election against the front-runner in what appears to be a coordinated effort to undermine his candidacy."

Uncorroborated rumors about Swalwell's behavior with female staffers had circulated on social media for weeks before the Chronicle report. At a campaign event in Sacramento on Tuesday, Swalwell told reporters he had never had a sexual relationship with a staff member or intern. He had canceled a scheduled campaign appearance in Palm Springs on Thursday, the day before the story broke.

The Endorsement Collapse

The fallout was swift and comprehensive. Within hours of the Chronicle report, Swalwell's political infrastructure buckled.

Reps. Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray, the chair and co-chair of his campaign respectively, both stepped down from their roles Friday. Gomez said in a statement that his involvement "begins and ends with trust" and called on Swalwell to leave the race immediately "so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay."

Sen. Schiff, one of Swalwell's highest-profile endorsers, withdrew his support and called on Swalwell to end his candidacy. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who had publicly defended Swalwell on social media earlier in the week in response to the circulating rumors, reversed course and pulled his endorsement. "I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information," Gallego wrote on X. "I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired."

The California Teachers Association suspended its support. The California Service Employees International Union did the same. The California Federation of Labor Unions said it was "acting urgently" on next steps. Californians for a Fighter, the outside spending group supporting Swalwell's campaign with millions in large donations, announced it was immediately suspending operations.

Courtni Pugh, a top campaign adviser, confirmed Friday that she and other staff had left the operation in response to the allegations.

Democratic Leadership Weighs In

House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement calling for a "swift investigation" and urging Swalwell to end his campaign. "All perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment must be held accountable," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had not endorsed Swalwell, said the accuser "must be respected and heard" and called for the matter to be "appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability." She added, in a statement posted to social media by her staff, that "as I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign."

Newsom, who has largely avoided engaging in the contest to replace him and is widely seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said the allegations "from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously."

Mark Ramos, head of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, called on Swalwell to end his campaign outright. Rusty Hicks, chair of the state party, described the allegations as "deeply disturbing" but did not go as far as calling for Swalwell's exit.

What It Means for the Governor's Race

The implosion reshapes what had been one of the most competitive and crowded primaries in recent California history. Dozens of candidates appear on the June 2 ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

Several of Swalwell's Democratic rivals called on him to withdraw, including former congresswoman Katie Porter, billionaire Tom Steyer, former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, former state controller Betty Yee, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and state schools superintendent Tony Thurmond. Porter and Steyer expressed support for the woman who came forward but stopped short of explicitly demanding Swalwell drop out.

Swalwell was first elected to Congress in 2012, representing a district east of San Francisco. He is originally from Iowa. He briefly ran for president in 2019 before dropping out after failing to gain traction. He is married with three children and is perhaps best known nationally for serving as a House manager in President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial in early 2021.

Whether Swalwell remains in the race or not, the damage to his candidacy appears heavily damaged.