Something remarkable happened in American politics this week: Democrats actually turned on one of their own. Loudly, publicly, and in unison. When serious allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against Rep. Eric Swalwell, the leading Democrat running for governor of the nation's most populous state, party leadership shockingly didn't circle the wagons. They demanded he end his campaign.
I have to admit, I was a bit surprised. Democrats have a well-established habit of treating the flimsiest allegations against Republicans as rock-solid proof of guilt, while dismissing far more credible accusations against members of their own party. Seeing the party move this decisively against Swalwell felt almost out of character. Remember, they looked the other way at Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, and even dismissed the numerous credible allegations of inappropriate behavior and even sexual assault made against him. So why are they turning on Swalwell?
Trust me, don’t accept their moral outrage at face value.
The reaction from Democratic leadership was swift and stinging. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released a joint statement calling the allegations "unacceptable" and demanding that Swalwell "immediately end his campaign." Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, long one of Swalwell's most powerful allies, said the matter needed to be investigated "with full transparency and accountability" — and made clear that the investigation should happen outside of a gubernatorial campaign. Sen. Adam Schiff pulled his endorsement. Jimmy Gomez, Swalwell's own campaign co-chair, resigned on the spot.
ICYMI: Swalwell Responds to Sexual Assault Allegations, and It's a Disaster
I'll admit — my first reaction was genuine surprise, but then it all became clear. Look at what Democrats are actually doing here. They are calling on Swalwell to exit the governor's race. What’s missing? Have you noticed there have been no demands from Democrats for Swalwell to resign from Congress? Where have we seen this play out before? That’s right. In 2024, Democrats forced Joe Biden to abandon his presidential campaign after his terrible debate against Trump. This was a blatant admission that he was cognitively impaired, and they couldn’t deny it anymore.
So despite him not being cognitively fit to run for president, he was still apparently fit to be president? It made no sense, and that’s essentially what’s happening now.
It’s not a principled stand they’re taking; they are only concerned with power. Because nothing says “accountability” like saying you’re not okay with an accused rapist running for governor, but have no problem serving with him in Congress.
The Republican National Committee is not hedging at all. It is calling for him to resign from Congress and drop out of the race.
"Eric Swalwell is and always has been a disgusting pig who needs to resign from Congress and drop out of the governor's race in disgrace," Republican National Committee spokesman Nick Poche said in a statement.
The GOP wants full accountability. Democrats want him out of one race so they can have a shot at winning it. Just like they wanted Joe Biden out of the race in 2024, so they could have a shot at winning it, and then they picked Kamala as his replacement. Oops.
Even though this is California, Swalwell’s problems could very well cost Democrats the election. California runs a jungle primary, where all candidates from all parties compete together and the top 2 vote-getters advance to the general election — regardless of party affiliation. With a historically crowded Democratic field splitting the liberal vote, two Republicans — former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — had been polling at the top of the field. Swalwell was running in third.
If he stays in the race, he keeps siphoning off a substantial share of Democratic votes. That risks producing something extraordinary: a November ballot with zero Democrats. A Republican-only general election for California governor would be catastrophic for the party — it would threaten Democratic turnout in the midterms and make competitive House races far more winnable for the GOP.
The calls to exit the governor's race are about one thing: political survival. Party leaders want the governorship to stay blue. Trust me, none of the Democrats calling for Swalwell to drop out care about the women who came forward. If Democrats actually cared about accountability, they would be demanding that Swalwell resign from Congress as well. Their silence on that front reveals the calculation beneath the outrage.
