By Eliza Collins and Laura J. Nelson

Rep. Eric Swalwell said he was suspending his campaign for California governor, following allegations of sexual misconduct that sparked outrage among fellow Democrats, with some demanding he both leave the race and immediately quit Congress as well.

"I am suspending my campaign for Governor," Swalwell said in a social media message late Sunday. "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."

The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN on Friday published accounts from women accusing Swalwell, a seven-term Democratic congressman from the Bay Area, of sexual misconduct, including an unnamed former Swalwell staff member who said he had sexually assaulted her when she was too drunk to consent. The Manhattan district attorney's office is investigating the allegations, one of which concerns an alleged incident in New York.

The Wall Street Journal hasn't independently verified the allegations.

In a video shared to social media Friday night, Swalwell denied what he described as "anonymous allegations" and apologized to his wife for "putting her in this position."

Before the allegations emerged, Swalwell was one of the leading candidates in the California governor's race. But the reports of abuse quickly derailed his run. Some lawmakers of both parties demanded he resign Congress as well.

"What he did is sick and disgusting," said Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) on Fox News on Sunday. "I believe that he should resign."

Khanna and other Democrats, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D., Wash.), said Sunday that Swalwell should leave alongside another embattled lawmaker, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R., Texas). Gonzales dropped his re-election bid earlier this year after admitting to an affair with a staff member who later killed herself. Gonzales has denied responsibility for her death.

Jayapal said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that she would vote to expel both Swalwell and Gonzales.

"I think that this is very important that we believe women, and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior," she said.

Representatives for both lawmakers didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democrats from all corners of the party have pressed for days for Swalwell to leave the governor race, including from Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), the former House speaker who had helped boost his national profile.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) and other Democratic leaders also said he should end his bid and called the allegations "incredibly disturbing" in a joint statement.

A representative for Jeffries didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on calls for Swalwell to leave Congress.

Senior staff from both Swalwell's campaign and congressional office released an unsigned statement over the weekend saying they were "horrified by the recent reporting" and that they stood with those who came forward.

"The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays the trust of all Californians," they wrote. They also said that some staff weren't able to forfeit their income and benefits and that the constituents were still in need of services.

"Any decision of staff members to remain in their roles in the interim should not be viewed as support for Eric Swalwell," they wrote.

Swalwell is one of several House lawmakers currently facing possible discipline, which could range from censure to expulsion.

The House Ethics Committee is conducting an investigation into Rep. Cory Mills (R., Fla.), who has fended off votes to censure him. The committee's inquiry is considering whether Mills violated House rules or federal law, including claims that he improperly disclosed -- or failed to disclose -- information on official filings; misused congressional resources or campaign finances; received gifts or favors inappropriately; and engaged in sexual misconduct or dating violence.

"I believe all the accusations and false things being said will be proven to be absolutely false," Mills said in November as he put forward a vote to send the matter to the Ethics Committee.

The ethics panel is also probing Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D., Fla.) over allegations she improperly used federal money to fund her 2021 House campaign. In November, she was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief funds that were improperly sent to her family's healthcare company. She has pleaded not guilty.

If the committee -- which comprises four Democrats and four Republicans -- finds her in violation of Ethics rules, it will make a recommendation that could include censure or expulsion, which would then go to a full House vote.

Write to Eliza Collins at eliza.collins@wsj.com and Laura J. Nelson at laura.nelson@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 12, 2026 21:13 ET (01:13 GMT)