Swalwell’s supporters protested after he left the race for the presidency. Who benefits?

SACRAMENTO – Big money supporters and Democratic heavyweights who tried to impeach Rep. Eric Swalwell as the next governor of California before his exit from the political scene full of scandals are now trying to find a new favorite among those who despised them or tried to reduce them.

Swalwell (D-Dublin) announced Monday that he will resign from his seat in Congress. He was facing a possible dismissal and an ongoing criminal investigation after reports emerged on Friday that he sexually assaulted a young female employee and behaved inappropriately with three other women, including sending them nude photos. Swalwell dismissed the allegations and, in his announcement on Sunday that he was withdrawing from the race, promised to fight to clear his name.

The immediate beneficiaries of Swalwell’s fall may be former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire investor Tom Steyer. Both of them were challenging Swalwell to be elected as the leader of the Democratic Alliance in this race even though each of them has been attacked by the party for different problems.

This new round of chaos only feeds a concern that has engulfed the California Democratic Party months, fueled by fears that the lack of a single party leader could lead to two Republicans ending up in the November election. Swalwell’s exit from the race could also reinvigorate candidates who have been languishing in recent polls – former US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San José Mayor Matt Mahan – adding to the uncertainty.

“What happens now depends on which campaigns are taking advantage of this,” said Andrew Acosta, a Democratic Alliance political consultant who is not involved in any of the campaigns. Other candidates, he said, “can use this as an opportunity to state their case.”

They wasted no time.

Porter’s campaign on Sunday released an internal poll showing almost half of Swalwell’s supporters listed him as their second choice. Steyer announced the consensus of lawmakers including Northern California Rep. Jared Huffman, who was among the first House Democrats to call on Swalwell to resign from Congress.

Others quickly used Swalwell’s departure as a fundraising tool.

“This changes the race,” Mahan fundraiser Stephanie Daily Smith said in an email to supporters on Sunday, adding that Swalwell “has been a big hit in the Bay Area news market and now the vote share is up for grabs.”

Former county Executive Betty Yee told her email list Monday that “let’s not forget the polls” that showed Swalwell as the front-runner, suggesting he led because of “obsession with who looks the part.”

“I’m not a flashy person, and I don’t ‘look the part’ of what the talking heads think will be successful,” she said.

Swalwell’s campaign has been in full swing for the past month. A poll released in mid-March by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by The Times showed that Swalwell and Porter both have the support of 13% of likely voters, with Steyer not far behind. The top Republicans in the race, former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, led with 17% and 16% support, respectively.

Elected officials, labor unions and other groups that support Swalwell came out in droves after the allegations against him were announced. But it’s unclear which candidate those influential voices will support next.

Although many Democrats see Steyer and Porter as the next most successful candidates, each has their own responsibilities. Steyer faced criticism in his campaign over his hedge fund’s investment in a private prison company that now houses people detained by immigration authorities, while Porter’s campaign is still plagued by scandalous videos of him mocking an employee and belittling a television reporter.

Ballots for the primary election will begin hitting the mailboxes of California voters in just a few weeks, and Swalwell’s campaign has been gaining momentum and financial support that may now be picked up by other candidates.

Powerful organizations including the California Medical Assn. and SEIU California poured millions into independent spending committees supporting Swalwell. But when a scandal broke out, their leaders called emergency meetings to withdraw their support and pulled the strings on the advertisements supporting him. No one has indicated whether they will agree to run again.

Over the weekend, Democratic members of the Legislative Women’s Caucus quickly set up phone calls with Porter and Yee — the only women left in the field for top nominees — according to two people familiar with the discussions. Although several lawmakers had not planned to support either candidate, they are reconsidering, driven by anger at Swalwell and frustration that other women are not qualified, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and former state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, previously left the race.

“The Epstein files keep coming, Cesar Chavez rocked California now,” said one attorney on the phone. “If we can’t elect a woman to the state’s highest office in 2026, what’s wrong with us?”

Swalwell reported raising more than $7.4 million in direct donations as of April 9, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance data. About 60% of the donations came from California donors.

Stephen Cloobeck, another Swalwell benefactor and longtime Democratic Alliance donor, said he is changing his party registration and is considering endorsing Hilton for governor.

“Don’t be surprised,” Cloobeck said in an interview Monday.

“We agree on about 90% of the issues,” he said, adding that he had met Hilton about two dozen times and appreciated his campaign message. “We are friends. I fight for unity. I come from old school unity. I don’t give up hope.”

The protein of Sen. The late Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Cloobeck entered the gubernatorial race but dropped out once Swalwell, with whom he was a longtime friend, jumped into the race. Cloobeck authorized congressional appropriations of approximately $1 million to an independent spending committee that supports him. Swalwell stayed at Cloobeck’s Beverly Hills mansion after news of the allegations against her broke – until Cloobeck kicked her out.

Cloobeck said he knows all seven prominent Democrats left in the governor’s race and has long said he is unimpressed with any of them. He said he wishes the California Legislature would amend the state Constitution so he could file for re-election.

Donna Bojarsky, a longtime Democrat in Los Angeles politics, attended Swalwell’s fundraisers this year thrown by Hollywood business leaders.

“People are scared,” Bojarsky said. He said there had been rumors about sexual misconduct, but no one raised allegations of sexual abuse.

Swalwell is very close to the industry and was going to be the executive producer on a film about the nation’s gun problem before revealing his name due to a labor dispute. He also maintains a real estate investment firm and a media company focused on producing television, film and online content.

Actors Sean Penn, Robert De Niro and Jon Hamm are among several Hollywood figures who have pledged to Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign.

Bojarsky hopes the nature of the scandal is that “there may be more race” as people scrutinize the field of candidates.

“People are paying attention,” he said.