California Democrats are facing an unusual challenge in this year’s gubernatorial race — the distinct possibility that two Republicans could make it through the open primary and face off against each other in the November general election, leaving one of the bluest states in the country with a Republican governor. That’s because there are so many Democrats running in the primary that none of them have been polling ahead of the two leading Republicans.
Recently, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, who represents parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, was beginning to edge ahead of his fellow Democrats in the polls and pick up key endorsements. Then the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN published allegations from former staffers of sexual misconduct and sexual assault by Swalwell. He denied the allegations, but acknowledged “mistakes in judgment” in the past, and later ended his campaign and resigned from Congress. Allegations continue to surface.
Governing spoke with Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, about how Swalwell’s resignation has reshaped the dynamics of the primary. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Governing: Why do you think it has been so hard for a Democratic front-runner to emerge in this primary?
Rusty Hicks: Well, crowded field. At one point we had eight candidates. Now we have seven candidates who have been doing this work for decades, and as a result, I think voters, those who have been tuning in, have plenty to choose from. And many voters are just beginning to tune in. I recognize that some would want a simple race that has a front-runner and a whole bunch of other people lagging far behind, but that’s not the race we have. So candidates are spending resources, their supporters are making endorsements. I expect the race to move in the coming days and weeks.
A little over a month ago you suggested that maybe the folks at the bottom of the polling should reconsider their campaigns. That didn’t really happen. What did you make of that?
To clarify, I never asked people who were polling low to step out of the race. I called on everybody, all candidates, no matter where you were, to assess your viability and path to the general election. That call continues. I certainly never expected to send a letter and to see everybody pack it in and call it a day. But it did, I think, put everyone on notice that they couldn’t simply just continue on as if the potential for two Republicans in the general election was not a possibility. Low likelihood, but still a possibility. With the stakes as high as they are today, we all have a collective responsibility to ensure that that doesn’t happen.
What do you want to say about the allegations against Eric Swalwell? I want to note that the previous California Democratic Party chair also resigned amid allegations of misconduct. What do you make of the fact that this is still an issue in politics in general and with the California Democratic Party too, that these allegations are still happening years after what seemed to be a reckoning with the Me Too movement.
I would first say, when I was elected in 2019, we put in place one of the strongest codes of conduct in the country. Frankly it’s been a model for the rest of the country, both the Democratic Party and elected offices around the country. I’m proud of the work we’ve done there in the California Democratic Party.
Two, I would say that the rightful end of Eric Swalwell’s career and campaign belongs to the courageous victims and survivors that came forward to tell their stories. I hope they get the justice that they seek and they deserve while we look to turn the page on Eric Swalwell and his reprehensible actions.
At the same time, broadly speaking about politics, I would just point you to the White House, and I would point you to Republicans in Congress. [Note: President Trump has faced numerous allegations of misconduct, while U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican, announced he’d follow Swalwell’s lead and resign from Congress amid revelations about a relationship with a former staffer.] It’s a bigger challenge. Eric Swalwell I think will be held responsible and accountable for his actions.
Right. I didn’t mean to suggest it was a Democratic issue more than any other.
But you did, and I want to be clear about that.
The New York Times recently published an article suggesting that Eric Swalwell was an unknown in California Democratic politics. I wanted to hear your take on that idea, that there’s candidates who are in elected office that have looser connections with the party in the state. What is it like to run a party in a state as big as California and have candidates from different regions and representing different constituencies try to become the party standard-bearer?
It is the largest state party in the country and the decision ultimately lands with 10 million Democrats in the state, 20 million California voters who ultimately make decisions to send candidates to Washington, D.C., or Sacramento, or their city hall, or any other hall of power. My objective is to ensure that we do have quality candidates in many of these offices. But for some, most of their work is in Washington, D.C., and is not directly here in California and in Sacramento. They are different political worlds.
Swalwell in particular obviously made a name for himself in the work that he’d done in Washington, D.C. Those in Sacramento were not as familiar with him and his work. At some point there will be some reflections on that reality. But there’s a lot of parties and a lot of interests and a lot of voters to help try to navigate.
Do you think it’s more likely or less likely now that it ends up being a Republican-only runoff?
Well, Donald Trump has weighed in to endorse a Republican. The Republican Party has not made an endorsement. I don’t necessarily think that gives anyone a massive bump amongst a small and dwindling Republican voter base in California. Obviously, we go from eight candidates to seven, so there will be some realignment within the race. But in my view, even if it’s become less likely, it is still possible. And therefore, with so much at stake, our work really continues to try to ensure that people are thoughtful about how they engage in the race.
Is there anything else you think people should understand about this race if they’re just starting to tune in?
I would encourage everyone to just pause for a minute, let voters reassess where things have shifted to, and then make an assessment going forward. This idea that everybody, within 48 hours, voters who are not necessarily paying attention to every twist and turn are going to be able to realign the race immediately just isn’t reality. I know everybody wants it to be done and finished and final, but that’s not the reality of what we’re dealing with.
