In a recent appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", California Democratic Rep.
Eric Swalwell announced his bid for the governorship, positioning himself as a defender of the Golden State against President Donald Trump.
Swalwell's entry into the crowded gubernatorial race follows a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte, alleging Swalwell's involvement in mortgage and tax fraud. Swalwell, a former prosecutor and current representative of a portion of California's Bay Area since 2013, has emerged as a notable adversary of the President.
Swalwell, during his conversation with Kimmel, stated, Our state, this great state, needs a fighter and a protector. Someone who will bring prices down, lift wages up. Ive been in fights as a city council member in Dublin, my hometown, as a prosecutor in Oakland, and taking on the most corrupt President ever in the U.S. Congress. But Im ready to bring this fight home.
According to the Daily Caller, Swalwell's ambition to vie for higher office in 2026 was initially reported by MSNBC. Before his official announcement, a fundraising page for Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign briefly appeared on the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, only to be removed later, as reported by Politico.
Swalwell's allies have reportedly been encouraging him to adopt a more moderate platform than his competitor, former Democratic California Rep. Katie Porter.
Swalwell, appointed by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi as an impeachment manager during Trump's second impeachment trial, has also publicly promoted merchandise for the No Kings protests on his social media accounts. He told Kimmel, What the American people are saying right now is they want Donald Trump out of our homes, out of our streets, out of our lives, and out of this studio.
Swalwell's gubernatorial bid isn't his first attempt at higher office. His performance in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary was lackluster, leading him to be among the first Democrats to withdraw from the race months before the Iowa caucuses. Swalwell's 2014 reelection campaign to the House was notably assisted by a suspected Chinese spy, Christine Fang, who participated in fundraisers and even placed at least one intern in his office.
Swalwell was cleared of all allegations related to his supposed relationship with Fang by the House Ethics Committee in 2023.
In early November, Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla announced he would not be running for governor, leaving Swalwell among a host of Democratic candidates, including Porter, former Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and others. On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton have thrown their hats into the ring.
Recent polls have indicated a decline in support for Porter following a contentious CBS News interview, during which she threatened to walk out, accusing the interviewer of posing "argumentative" questions about her gubernatorial bid. Porter also faced backlash after a leaked 2021 Zoom call showed her yelling at an aide to exit her "fucking shot" when the staffer inadvertently walked into the camera's view.
Porter made further headlines when it was revealed her ex-husband accused her of pouring boiling mashed potatoes on his head, causing burns to his scalp.
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