BREAKING: Rep. Eric Swalwell Suspends California Governor Campaign and Announces Plans to Resign from Congress
- Rex Ballard
- 8 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Shasta Unfiltered Northern California’s Honest News Source Redding | April 13, 2026
In a stunning one-two punch over the last 48 hours, East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell has suspended his bid for California governor and says he will resign his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The moves come amid a rapidly escalating scandal involving multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and assault from women, including former staffers. Swalwell has strongly denied the claims, calling them “serious, false allegations,” and says he will fight them personally.
Sunday night, April 12: Swalwell posted on X that he was immediately suspending his campaign for governor to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I am suspending my campaign for Governor. 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.”
Monday, April 13: Just hours later, Swalwell announced he plans to resign from Congress, citing an impending House Ethics Committee investigation and the distraction it would cause his constituents in California’s 14th District.
“I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
The announcements triggered a wave of reactions across California and Washington. Multiple Democratic endorsements for his gubernatorial run had already evaporated over the weekend, and bipartisan calls for his removal from Congress grew louder.
A special election will now be called to fill the remainder of Swalwell’s congressional term. His name will remain on the June 2026 gubernatorial primary ballot, but he is no longer an active candidate.
Video Coverage:
This leaves the California Governor's election race in shambles. It is too late to remove Swalwell's name from the ballot. Democratic party leaders are desperately trying to get the word out that Swalwell supporters need to vote for another Democratic candidate to avoid diluting Democratic votes. This situation could help propel the two Republican candidates who have been polling near the top (Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco) to the top of the ticket. California features a "Jungle Primary" system, where the top 2 vote-getters from the primary election head directly to the November runoff.
The story continues to develop rapidly. Shasta Unfiltered will keep you updated as more details emerge from the investigations and the fallout in Sacramento and Washington.
Sources:
Eric Swalwell’s official X statements (April 12–13, 2026)
CNN, ABC News, Fox News, NBC News reporting (April 13, 2026)
San Francisco Chronicle and AP wire coverage of the allegations and campaign suspension
House Ethics Committee announcement (April 13, 2026)
Shasta Unfiltered – Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Northern California First.
