Eric Swalwell’s bid for governor experienced a successful weekend, measured by both traditional and Trump-era political criteria.
On Sunday, Swalwell secured the backing of the influential California Teachers Association, marking the final major labor endorsement in the gubernatorial race that candidates had been vying for. Like Democrats generally, organized labor has faced challenges in uniting behind a single candidate. However, with endorsements from the CTA, SEIU’s state council, the United Food and Commercial Workers, and the statewide firefighters union, Swalwell has garnered support from some of the most significant labor groups.
This endorsement by the teachers followed an explosive report by The Washington Post revealing that FBI Director Kash Patel is advocating for the release of a decade-old case file concerning Swalwell’s connections to a suspected Chinese intelligence operative. The investigation concluded without any criminal charges, and a House Ethics probe was closed in 2023 by Republican committee leaders with no further action taken.
If true, the release of such material would represent another unprecedented action by the Trump administration. Disclosing this information five weeks before ballots are distributed could be perceived as an attempt to sway the California governor’s race. An FBI spokesperson contested the claims in the Post story, and Playbook’s requests for comment were not addressed.
In an interview with Playbook, Swalwell criticized the Trump administration, though his tone was not particularly angry. He acknowledged that the report highlights concerns about the politicization of the Justice Department and the president’s retaliatory actions against adversaries. Yet, it also presents Swalwell with a conflict he welcomes, positioning him as a prominent opponent to Trump.
“I believe [it] shows what has been, in part, the reason I’m running, which is: I’ve been in the arena. I’ve taken on this guy. It’s come with a cost, but it’s not going to stop me,” Swalwell stated.
In a state where the president is largely unpopular, this stance is politically advantageous. Just ask Gavin Newsom.
Swalwell refrained from declaring the report beneficial to his campaign (though many pundits did so on his behalf). In a race where leading Democratic candidates have struggled to stand out, a prolonged dispute with Patel and Trump offers Swalwell a way to differentiate himself from Tom Steyer and Katie Porter.
“It validates and reinforces that we are the biggest threat to Trump in the field, the only name he knows, the only person he attacks,” Swalwell remarked.
However, it’s premature to label Swalwell as the frontrunner (despite him asserting that title himself). Polls consistently indicate that Democratic voters have not coalesced around a single candidate, leading to concerns within the party about the possibility of two Republicans advancing from the top-two primary in June.
The governor’s race has yet to capture widespread attention among Californians, and it’s uncertain if this new development will remain prominent in voters’ minds when they head to the polls. This might explain why Swalwell is starting the week with a press conference in San Francisco, focusing on “Kash Patel’s weaponization of the FBI.”
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