Swalwell Weighs Bid for Calif. Governor As Chinese Spy Questions Resurface
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) may be preparing for the most ambitious political gamble of his career: a run for governor of California. MSNBC is now reporting that two anonymous insiders close to Swalwell say he is actively weighing the bid and could make his decision public as soon as next week — a move that would immediately upend a crowded Democratic field already battling for position.
According to the report, Swalwell has kept his deliberations within a tight inner circle and has refused to confirm anything publicly. But sources told MSNBC that key allies have been encouraging him to jump in, pitching him as a “fighter/protector” modeled after outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom — a comparison that underscores how aggressively the state’s Democratic establishment wants to shape the race.
If Swalwell enters, he will walk straight into a heavyweight primary fight.
Former Rep. Katie Porter, a progressive favorite with a national following, is widely considered one of the early frontrunners. Former HHS Secretary and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra brings decades of statewide political infrastructure. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is trying a comeback with a more disciplined strategy aimed at moderates and Latino voters. Wealthy businessman Stephen Cloobeck is also flirting with an outsider-style campaign.
One major name — Sen. Alex Padilla — officially took himself off the board this week, simplifying the field but still leaving the Democratic contest deeply fractured.
But Swalwell’s potential campaign debuted under a cloud. MSNBC noted that on the same day its report surfaced, a Trump-era official referred Swalwell to the Department of Justice for a possible federal criminal probe involving alleged mortgage and tax fraud. The details of the referral haven’t been released, and DOJ has not commented.
Swalwell responded by framing the referral as pure politics: “As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade… the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me.”
Swalwell is no stranger to controversy. Conservatives have targeted him for years over his documented association with Christine Fang — also known as “Fang Fang” — an alleged Chinese intelligence operative who cultivated relationships with multiple California politicians. Axios reported in 2020 that Fang helped raise funds for Swalwell’s 2014 campaign and even assisted in placing an intern in his office. U.S. intelligence officials reportedly warned Swalwell about her activities in 2015, and he cut ties after that briefing.
While Swalwell has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, the FBI’s concerns and years of speculation have followed him into every national dispute he picks with Republicans. A classified assessment reported by Breitbart in 2021 and a House Ethics Committee review in 2023 — which ultimately declined to take further action — have kept the issue alive.
If Swalwell launches a gubernatorial run, he won’t just be entering the biggest and most expensive state race in America. He’ll also be reopening every unresolved political liability he thought he left behind in Washington.