Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that he will run for California governor in 2026, pledging to be a “fighter and protector” for the state.
Swalwell’s announcement on Nov. 20 further swells the already packed Democratic field vying to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom when his term ends—and is poised to open a rare vacant House seat in the Bay Area.
A key figure behind the congressional push to impeach President Donald Trump during his first term, Swalwell said that the president is “not going to like this show,” before speaking critically about Trump and his administration for several minutes.
This prompted Kimmel to ask: “What are we going to do? How do you stop this?”
“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I love California. ... That’s why it pisses me off to see Californians running through the fields where they work from ICE agents, or troops in our streets. It’s horrifying. Or cancer research being cut,” Swalwell replied.
“Our state, this great state, needs a fighter and a protector, someone who will bring prices down, lift wages up. I came here tonight, Jimmy, to tell you and your audience that I’m running to be the next governor of California.”
Billing himself as “the fiercest face of the Democratic resistance” on his gubernatorial campaign website, Swalwell said he’s running for two main reasons: fear and inflation.
“I’m running for Governor because prices are too high and people are scared,” he said in a statement.
“California’s next governor has two jobs. One, keep the worst president in history out of our homes, out of our streets, and out of our lives.”
Casting himself as California’s “fighter and protector,” Swalwell said the state is “under attack” from federal actions ranging from law-enforcement deployments to funding cuts and intensified immigration actions.
He noted that his Jan. 6-related lawsuit is among the few still active under the new administration, and he pointed to his past role in Trump’s impeachment as well as his leadership in the House Democrats’ effort to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach.
“The second job of the governor is to bring a new California,” Swalwell said.
He pledged to prioritize “homes and jobs” and noted that the average first-time homeowner in California is 40 years old and the state has the highest unemployment rate in the United States.
Touting his experience as a planning commissioner and city councilman who helped make his hometown of Dublin one of California’s most prosperous cities, Swalwell said, “If you work hard, you should do better for yourself and dream bigger for your kids.”
Absent from his announcement was any criticism of Newsom’s policies. Newsom, who cannot seek reelection because he is term-limited, is seen as a 2028 Democratic presidential hopeful.
As he enters the race for governor, Swalwell joins a crowded field of Democratic contenders, including former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Rep. Katie Porter, and billionaire activist Tom Steyer. On the Republican side, former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco are running.
Swalwell is not the first Californian to launch a gubernatorial bid on late-night TV. Arnold Schwarzenegger did the same in 2003 on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” criticizing then-incumbent Democratic Gov. Gray Davis and spearheading a successful recall campaign that made Davis the first governor recalled in California’s history.
