is facing serious sexual assault allegations from several women, his former congressional staffers. The controversy is costing the California Democrat his lead just weeks before the all-party primary on June 2. With the 45-year-old’s numbers down, it is Republican Tom Steyer who is leading polls.
Latest Eric Swalwell poll numbers
Web-based prediction market platform Kalshi on Friday updated its California governor race numbers. Tom Steyer’s odds of becoming the next Governor of California jumped sharply on Friday as the controversy around Swalwell broke.
As per Kalshi, Steyer’s price jumped to 56%, an increase of 30 points in a week. Among Steyer’s Democratic opponents, Katie Porter is now at 12%, while Swalwell has dropped to 7%.
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Despite the scandal and Steyer’s soaring odds, traders still favor the Democrats to retain control of the California Governor’s office.
Allegations against Eric Swalwell
Fresh allegations against Swalwell have emerged. Multiple women accused the congressman of sexual misconduct, claims he has categorically denied.
At the center of the report, published by CNN, is a former staffer who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Swalwell in 2024, years after leaving his office. Recalling the incident, she said: “I was pushing him off of me, saying no,” adding, “He didn’t stop.”
The woman described waking up the next day with injuries, saying: “My vagina was bleeding the next day after the sex, I had cuts and bruises on my body.” She added that she could see “the bruises of where his hand had been on my rib cage and on my legs and near my thighs.”
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According to her account, this was not an isolated incident. She told CNN that in 2019, while still working for Swalwell, she woke up naked in a hotel room after a night of heavy drinking, with no memory of events but physical signs of sexual contact. “I know that there was sexual contact because when I woke up in the morning, I could feel that there was,” she said.
The former staffer said she initially blamed herself before later concluding: “Well, Eric shouldn’t have raped me.”
Eric Swalwell issues statement
Swalwell has strongly denied all allegations. In a statement, he said: “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor. For nearly 20 years, I have served the public, as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women. I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
His legal team has also pushed back aggressively. Attorneys sent cease-and-desist letters to two of the women, calling their claims “false” and warning of potential legal consequences if they continued speaking publicly.
