Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who has been a leading critic of the Trump administration, says he is running for governor of California in the 2026 election.
He made the announcement on his official campaign website, which went live Thursday night ahead of a scheduled appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Swalwell got a standing ovation from the audience when he then announced his run on Kimmel’s show.
“Our state, this great state, needs a fighter and a protector,” Swalwell remarked to Kimmel.
“I’ve been in these fights as a City Council member up in Dublin, my hometown, as a prosecutor in Oakland and taking on the most corrupt president ever in the U.S. Congress, but I’m ready to bring this fight home,” .
He also said he doesn’t trust that the files concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be released in their entirety. President Trump requiring the Justice Department to release files within 30 days.
Swalwell, 45, joins an already crowded field . Gov. Gavin Newsom cannot run for reelection because he is term-limited by California law.
The field includes several other Democratic hopefuls, including former Secretary of Health and Human Services , former Rep. , former Los Angeles Mayor and entrepreneur , among others. Republican candidates include political pundit and Riverside County Sheriff .
Swalwell represents the state’s 14th Congressional District, which encompasses a large swath of the East Bay. He has held office in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013, and before that, he was a prosecutor for Alameda County. His political career includes a , during which he made gun control one of his main focuses and called for a complete ban on assault rifles.
Last week, the Trump administration referred Swalwell to the Justice Department over alleged tax and mortgage fraud. Swalwell addressed the allegations with Kimmel, calling them “nonsense.”
In a statement following the referral, Swalwell said, “The only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me.”
Swalwell and the Trump administration have a history stretching back to Mr. Trump’s first term. earlier this month as “the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade.” He also during Mr. Trump’s second impeachment trial.
In addition, there is an against Mr. Trump that alleges his actions led to the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
