California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., talks with reporters after holding a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 7, 2026. AP The swift implosion of Eric Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign over the weekend is but the latest black eye for Hollywood’s political class which in recent months had coalesced behind the 45-year-old congressman as the man to replace current California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
After four women came forward on Friday accusing Swalwell of misconduct ranging from sexual harassment to rape, it didn’t take long for the finger-pointing to begin over who knew what and when about Swalwell’s alleged sordid history.
“There are a lot of powerful people in this city that validated this guy and enabled him to get as far as he did,” said one LA political consultant who noted that rumors surrounding Swalwell’s behavior towards certain female staffers over the years were well known within certain Beltway political circles.
“Hollywood needs to take a hard look in the mirror because this community — right or wrong — is still essential in determining who gets to have power in this country and in this state. And a lot of those people have some accounting to do because this wasn’t some huge secret.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles on April 9. Getty Images Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter speaks during a CalAsian-sponsored gubernatorial candidates forum at the Citizen Hotel on Wednesday, April 8. Paul Kitagaki Jr./ZUMA / SplashNews.com With just three weeks to go before early voting starts, Swalwell’s exit from the race adds a new level of urgency, and industry activists are now wondering who they should throw their support behind. A crowded field that still includes seven major Democratic candidates has the Democratic party fretting that deep blue California could end up sending not one but two Republicans to the run-off.
Should the industry rally around 68-year old billionaire Tom Steyer? Has former congresswoman Katie Porter been able to get past her recent controversy that centered on bullying behavior towards a staffer? Or could former LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa emerge as a potential dark horse candidate?
“People are going to have to start paying attention to this now. It’s a new beginning,” said the source.
