Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell announced Thursday that he is running for governor of California, aiming to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Swalwell unveiled his candidacy on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and posted on X, “California needs a fighter and protector.” In his first campaign video he said the next governor must “keep the worst president in our history out of our homes, out of our streets, and out of our lives” and “bring a new California.”
On his campaign website he says one priority will be taking on President Donald Trump and leading Democrats’ efforts to investigate January 6. “Our state is under attack. The President has militarized our streets, canceled cancer research, zeroed out clean energy climate projects, and is chasing our immigrant friends and neighbors through their workplaces, kids’ schools, and houses of worship,” the site says.
The California gubernatorial election is set for November 3, 2026. About two dozen candidates have already entered the primary; several have dropped out. Former vice president and ex-California senator Kamala Harris said she is not running. Others who have left include Laphonza Romanique Butler, Matthew William Mahan, Alex Padilla, and Adam Schiff.
Prominent declared candidates include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, and former Fox News host Steve Hilton. Newsom, first elected in 2018, is term-limited.
Swalwell’s biography notes he was raised by two Republicans in Dublin, California, and was the first in his family to attend college. He serves on the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. During Donald Trump’s first term he was a leading opponent as a member of the House Intelligence Committee and was removed from that committee, along with Adam Schiff, after Republicans took control of the House in 2023. Swalwell also briefly ran for president in 2019 and has advocated for gun control.
