Eric Swalwell Enters California Governor’s Race

Rep. Eric Swalwell, an outspoken Donald Trump antagonist, is running for California governor, adding one more Democratic hopeful to the jam-packed field.

The seven-term member of Congress, who represents the San Francisco Bay Area, said on his website he “is running for Governor with fresh ideas and tremendous heart” before appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night.

"I'm running for Governor because prices are too high and people are scared," he wrote.

A Swalwell candidacy was on nobody’s radar just a few months ago. His decision to enter the race late in the year — when other candidates have had as much as a year’s head start — is the latest sign of an unsettled Democratic field in the race to succeed Gavin Newsom, with no decisive frontrunner.

The leading Democrat, Katie Porter, has been hobbled by unflattering viral videos, while former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have struggled to break into double-digits in the polls. The other contenders — state schools chief Tony Thurmond, former state controller Betty Yee, entrepreneur Stephen J. Cloobeck and former assemblymember Ian Calderon — have failed to break out from the bottom of the pack.

Other potential entrants to the race include a pair of billionaire entrepreneurs — Tom Steyer and Rick Caruso — while some Sacramento players have encouraged Attorney General Rob Bonta to take another look at the race.

Swalwell, who began his congressional career by ousting a 40-year Democratic incumbent, has built his profile on relentless criticism of Trump. He parlayed his regular appearances on cable news into a short-lived presidential run, which ended after three months in 2019.

"I've been in these fights as a city council member up in Dublin, my hometown, as a prosecutor in Oakland and taking on the most corrupt president ever in the U.S. Congress, but I'm ready to bring this fight home," Swalwell told Kimmel on his show.

Swalwell's persistent needling of the president has made him a target of the administration. Last week, a Trump official alleged Swalwell committed mortgage fraud — a recurring accusation against Trump’s enemies such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, who was indicted last month, and California Sen. Adam Schiff — and referred the case to the Department of Justice for possible investigation.

Swalwell has also become an object of derision on the right, where his detractors are quick to point out his previous ties to a Chinese spy who sought to influence American politicians. Swalwell has said he cooperated with the FBI when he was alerted to her work for the Chinese government and that he immediately cut off contact.

While his combat with Trump has made him a hero to grassroots Democrats, he will need to play significant catch-up for his nascent campaign. He has roughly $500,000 in his congressional campaign account, which he could put toward his race. He also is not particularly well-known among Sacramento power brokers, which means he’ll have to quickly build relationships to secure major endorsements that could give his campaign a boost.