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U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, the Tri-Valley Democrat and former Dublin councilman who has positioned himself as among the most vocal political antagonists of President Donald Trump, officially launched his campaign for governor of California on Thursday night.
With a candidacy video dropping online almost in parallel with his appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airing on ABC, the seventh-term congressman vowed, “We can build ourselves a new California that we can share in together.”
“I’m running for Governor because prices are too high and people are scared. California’s next governor has two jobs. One, keep the worst president in history out of our homes, out of our streets, and out of our lives. I will be California’s fighter and protector,” Swalwell said in his announcement, ending weeks of speculation about his gubernatorial ambitions.
“The second job of Governor is to bring a new California. It’s great that we can say we are the fourth largest economy in the world. But what does that mean if you work your ass off and don’t have a stake in it? Nothing,” Swalwell, 45, added in his press release. “My promise is this: if you work hard you should do better for yourself and dream bigger for your kids. That’s the new California promise.”
Swalwell enters a crowded field of Democrats and Republicans competing to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is terming out. The primary election is June 2 after which the top two finishers, regardless of party, will advance to a runoff in November 2026.
It remains unclear what Swalwell’s announcement seven months before the primary means for the 14th Congressional District, which spans from Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin westward to Castro Valley, Hayward and Union City and south to Fremont. The official ballot won’t be finalized until spring, and Swalwell hasn’t confirmed whether he plans to leave both doors open while seeing how his gubernatorial campaign gains traction.
That’s what he did in 2019 during a short-lived bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. president in 2020, bowing out after just a few months and refocusing on an ultimately successful reelection campaign for U.S. House of Representatives.
The launch of “Swalwell for Governor” represents another step in the political ascent for the congressman who first arrived on the national stage as a 32-year-old Dublin City Council member and Alameda County prosecutor by upsetting incumbent Rep. Pete Stark, a fellow Democrat, in the 2012 election.
While rising through the ranks within his own party in Washington, D.C., Swalwell carved out an identity for himself as a young politician leveraging social media and frequent television news appearances, including CNN and Fox News, to elevate his brand – which has now evolved into that of a middle-aged husband and father with three kids under 9.
Swalwell’s reputation has also been shaped by his frequent, vocal opposition of Trump and much of the MAGA movement during both of the president’s terms and all three campaigns, scoring Swalwell political points among liberals in his congressional district and beyond but alienating conservative constituents at home.
Earlier in the month, Swalwell found himself in national headlines after sources told media outlets like CBS News that Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte referred Swalwell to the Justice Department for tax and mortgage fraud allegations similar to accusations the Trump administration has made against U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The Tri-Valley congressman has publicly denied the allegations, calling them political payback by the administration for loud criticism of the president and for his still-active lawsuit against Trump seeking to hold the president civilly liable for the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
Being an overt Trump adversary appears to be a key aspect of Swalwell’s campaign for governor.
“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,” Swalwell’s press release stated. “A lot of candidates talk about taking on Trump. I’m taking him on in real time.”
The other overarching angle is improving California in 2026 and beyond by focusing on “affordability, economic growth, and modernizing state government so it works better for everyone”, according to his campaign announcement.
“I’ve worked as a planning commissioner and city councilman in a place of low income and low expectations and helped lead my hometown to become one of California’s most prosperous cities. I’ll take that approach to the whole state,” Swalwell said. “My priorities will be homes and jobs. The average first-time homeowner is 40 years old, and we have the highest unemployment rate in America.”
Swalwell jumps into a governor race that already features Democrats like former Orange County congresswoman Katie Porter (the one-time frontrunner whose campaign took a hit after bad-look videos earlier this fall), billionaire Tom Steyer, former U.S. health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra, ex-Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, current State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond and former state controller Betty Yee, according to a recent CalMatters recap of candidates. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former TV personality Steve Hilton are the prominent Republicans bidding so far.
Swalwell hopes to stand apart from the other candidates by reenergizing voters amid a stagnant field, according to his adviser Kate Maeder, general consultant and partner of KMM Strategies.
“Talk to an average voter, or political insider, and they would tell you the same thing — none of the current candidates for Governor are inspiring. That changes today with Eric Swalwell,” Maeder said in the campaign launch press release. “He is the right leader at the right time. His experience in the arena taking on Trump, his deep California roots, and his commitment to making our state more affordable will energize Democrats, which is what we need at the top of the ticket right now going into the midterms.”
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