Author Topic: Swalwell gains traction in crowded California governor’s race (Read 577 times)

mystery-ak · « **on:** March 18, 2026, 08:39:37 am »

Swalwell gains traction in crowded California governor’s race
by Julia Mueller and Caroline Vakil - 03/18/26 6:00 AM ET

Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D-Calif.) campaign to succeed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is gaining traction as the threat of a Republican upset grows in the crowded contest with no clear front-runner less than three months out from the primary.

New polling shows Swalwell’s support has ticked up in the Golden State’s nonpartisan primary, from which the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election, regardless of party. Buoyed by his national profile and notable endorsements, Swalwell appears in a position to edge past top party rivals, including former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and billionaire Tom Steyer.

But the race is still wide-open, with a plurality of voters still undecided as more than a half-dozen Democrats split their base’s support. The state party has called for candidates to consider dropping out to consolidate support, as strategists and experts raise alarms that two Republicans could advance in the deep blue stronghold.

“The polls are really good for Swalwell, not only obviously because they show he’s ahead of other Democrats, but also because they’ll help with fundraising,” said Jack Pitney, a politics professor at Claremont McKenna College. “A lot of Democratic contributors out there are looking for a horse to bet on, and the morning line seems to favor Swalwell.”

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5787942-swalwell-surge-california-gubernatorial-race/

andy58-in-nh · « **Reply #1 on:** March 18, 2026, 08:43:11 am »

Quote from: mystery-ak on March 18, 2026, 08:39:37 am

“A lot of Democratic contributors out there are looking for a horse to bet on, and the morning line seems to favor Swalwell.”

Or at least - a horse's ass.

mountaineer · « **Reply #2 on:** March 18, 2026, 11:07:32 am »

Swalwell doesn't even live in California. I guess that doesn't matter anymore.

Political Polls
@PpollingNumbers
New - California governor primary
🔴 Hilton 17%
🔴 Bianco 16%
🔵 Swalwell 13%
🔵 Porter 13%
🔵 Steyer 10%
🔵 Becerra 5%
Top 2 go for a runoff
Barkley #B - RV - 3/14
7:54 AM · Mar 18, 2026
https://x.com/PpollingNumbers/status/2034236968310055386

Kamaji · « **Reply #3 on:** March 18, 2026, 11:51:57 am »

California epitomizes an old foreign service canard that usually gets applied to the foreign country where an FSO is serving: it’s a great place, except for the people.

GtHawk · « **Reply #4 on:** March 18, 2026, 01:47:58 pm »

Quote from: Kamaji on March 18, 2026, 11:51:57 am

California epitomizes an old foreign service canard that usually gets applied to the foreign country where an FSO is serving: it’s a great place, except for the people.

As applied to California....It's a great place except for the democrats.

cato potatoe · « **Reply #5 on:** March 18, 2026, 02:00:15 pm »

Nobody seems to want the job. Unsurprising, really.

catfish1957 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 18, 2026, 02:24:13 pm »

I'd say this Swalwell momentum gain has some Fangs to it.

And Porter? She's a Karen's Karen.

Kamaji · « **Reply #7 on:** March 18, 2026, 03:14:56 pm »

Quote from: GtHawk on March 18, 2026, 01:47:58 pm

As applied to California....It's a great place except for the democrats.

Which comprises most of the inhabitants of Cali.

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #8 on:** March 18, 2026, 04:22:04 pm »

Quote from: mountaineer on March 18, 2026, 11:07:32 am

Swalwell doesn't even live in California. I guess that doesn't matter anymore.

Political Polls
@PpollingNumbers
New - California governor primary
🔴 Hilton 17%
🔴 Bianco 16%
🔵 Swalwell 13%
🔵 Porter 13%
🔵 Steyer 10%
🔵 Becerra 5%
Top 2 go for a runoff
Barkley #B - RV - 3/14
7:54 AM · Mar 18, 2026
https://x.com/PpollingNumbers/status/2034236968310055386

I believe your numbers before I believe anything from The Hill!

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #9 on:** March 18, 2026, 04:23:54 pm »

Quote from: catfish1957 on March 18, 2026, 02:24:13 pm

I'd say this Swalwell momentum gain has some Fangs to it.

And Porter? She's a Karen's Karen.

I see what you did there!

mountaineer · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2026, 02:17:22 pm »

Rob Pyers
@rpyers
🎉🎉$101 million🎉🎉
Tom Steyer dumps another $4.675 million into his campaign for California Governor, vaulting him to 9 figures spent so far with still another 67 days to go until the June top two primary.

https://twitter.com/CATargetBot0001/status/2037721455434309708

PeteS in CA · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2026, 07:20:47 pm »

Steyer seems to be an exception to Progs' "No Billionaires" shtick. Steyer's campaign promises that I've seen include a lot of things no governor has the authority to carry out. Whether his followers have that much understanding of how things work,

...

mountaineer · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2026, 12:48:30 pm »

Eric Swalwell’s new and prior financial disclosures show a mix of questionable charges to his campaign, and dubious tax and cash management strategies amid signs of a cash crunch worsened by overspending on a high-flying lifestyle. Swalwell runs a high-earning $461K two-income household, but still charged dubious expenses to his campaign, made chronic and risky delays in paying income taxes, and made precarious withdrawals from retirement accounts. ...

https://twitter.com/LizMacDonaldFOX/status/2040394935996760341

mountaineer · « **Reply #13 on:** April 05, 2026, 08:01:29 am »

Fartwell used campaign funds to pay his wife to take care of their own children.

https://twitter.com/DailyKenncom/status/2040661323512512972

mountaineer · « **Reply #14 on:** April 05, 2026, 08:44:42 am »

Secret link between Eric Swalwell, his billionaire pal and a Penthouse Pet accused of honey trapping rich old men
By Josh Koehn and Benjamin Brown
Published April 5, 2026, 8:00 a.m. ET
New York Post

Quote

Stephen Cloobeck, an eccentric, lefty billionaire who’s burned more than $1 million supporting Rep. Eric Swalwell’s run for California governor, is engaged to a Penthouse Pet and Israeli OnlyFans model who’s facing a string of criminal charges for allegedly burglarizing the homes of rich old men in Los Angeles.

The Post can reveal that Swalwell’s campaign benefactor recently became engaged to Adva Lavie, who also goes by the name Shoshana and has been accused of posing as a romantic partner or travel companion before stealing cash, gold, and high-end designer goods. ...

Stephen Cloobeck, an eccentric, lefty billionaire who’s burned more than $1 million supporting Rep. Eric Swalwell’s run for California governor, is engaged to a Penthouse Pet and Israeli OnlyFans model who’s facing a string of criminal charges for allegedly burglarizing the homes of rich old men in Los Angeles.

The Post can reveal that Swalwell’s campaign benefactor recently became engaged to Adva Lavie, who also goes by the name Shoshana and has been accused of posing as a romantic partner or travel companion before stealing cash, gold, and high-end designer goods. ...

https://nypost.com/2026/04/05/us-news/onlyfans-model-accused-of-burgling-rich-old-men-in-la-engaged-to-lefty-billionaire-stephen-cloobeck/

PeteS in CA · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2026, 01:15:07 pm »

Another sketchy Dem donor besides Ed Buck? Unsurprising. I doubt that he subscribed to her OnlyFans, though, since women aren't his taste (also, I think he might be in prison, now).

Fishrrman · « **Reply #16 on:** April 05, 2026, 05:24:35 pm »

Looks like all that swalwell needs to do is edge out second place in the jungle primary.

Then he's all-but guaranteed to be the next governor of california...

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2026, 05:34:49 pm »

Quote from: Fishrrman on April 05, 2026, 05:24:35 pm

Looks like all that swalwell needs to do is edge out second place in the jungle primary.

Then he's all-but guaranteed to be the next governor of california...

Last I heard, the two leaders in the polls were Republicans. It's possible there will be no Democrats in the General Election!f

Wingnut · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2026, 05:55:36 pm »

Quote from: Fishrrman on April 05, 2026, 05:24:35 pm

Looks like all that swalwell needs to do is edge out second place in the jungle primary.

Then he's all-but guaranteed to be the next governor of california...

Sorry if you don't care for this reply....

But you have lost your f'ing mind.

IsailedawayfromFR · « **Reply #19 on:** April 05, 2026, 05:56:10 pm »

California is a broken state.

Just run down the list of worthless governors over the past several decades.

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #20 on:** April 05, 2026, 06:10:41 pm »

Quote from: Wingnut on April 05, 2026, 05:55:36 pm

Sorry if you don't care for this reply....

But you have lost your f'ing mind.

Yeah, I'm tired of that tag line too....

Wingnut · « **Reply #21 on:** April 05, 2026, 06:15:31 pm »

Quote from: Cyber Liberty on April 05, 2026, 06:10:41 pm

Yeah, I'm tired of that tag line too....

Ditto. Say what you want to say and don't follow it with a phony disclaimer.

Fishrrman · « **Reply #22 on:** April 05, 2026, 06:33:13 pm »

You won't like THIS reply, either.

Cyber wrote:
"Last I heard, the two leaders in the polls were Republicans. It's possible there will be no Democrats in the General Election!"

Yes. But Swalwell is 3 points behind the guy in front of him, the "second place Republican". If he can somehow edge this guy Bianco out, he'll be "#2" and be on the ballot against Steyer (I'm using the numbers you posted above).

If it's Steyer v. Swalwell -- who's gonna win? Sumthin' tells me it will be the guy with the "D" next to his name on the ballot.

Wingnut chides:
"But you have lost your f'ing mind."

Again, see above.
In a state as blue as is California, the one with the "D" almost certainly wins a statewide election. Doesn't really matter who. Look at AOC in New York -- she's "got the D", so... she wins. Same for the other boroughs (with the exception of Staten Island). This ain't Florida.

I Sailed wrote:
"California is a broken state."

Indeed. Even MORESO than are states like Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut. There really isn't any way to "fix" it. It's just going to wherever it's going, and we can only watch. And perhaps take action to insulate ourselves from the fallout...

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2026, 07:00:12 pm »

Quote from: Fishrrman on April 05, 2026, 06:33:13 pm

You won't like THIS reply, either.

Cyber wrote:
"Last I heard, the two leaders in the polls were Republicans. It's possible there will be no Democrats in the General Election!"

Yes. But Swalwell is 3 points behind the guy in front of him, the "second place Republican". If he can somehow edge this guy Bianco out, he'll be "#2" and be on the ballot against Steyer (I'm using the numbers you posted above).

If it's Steyer v. Swalwell -- who's gonna win? Sumthin' tells me it will be the guy with the "D" next to his name on the ballot.

Wingnut chides:
"But you have lost your f'ing mind."

Again, see above.
In a state as blue as is California, the one with the "D" almost certainly wins a statewide election. Doesn't really matter who. Look at AOC in New York -- she's "got the D", so... she wins. Same for the other boroughs (with the exception of Staten Island). This ain't Florida.

I Sailed wrote:
"California is a broken state."

Indeed. Even MORESO than are states like Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut. There really isn't any way to "fix" it. It's just going to wherever it's going, and we can only watch. And perhaps take action to insulate ourselves from the fallout...

Did Hilton drop off the face of the Earth somewhere?

mountaineer · « **Reply #24 on:** April 05, 2026, 07:09:40 pm »

fwiw ...

Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer and Eric Swalwell leading California governor's race, new polls show
Updated on: March 24, 2026 / 9:33 PM PDT / CBS LA

A new Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey of the June primary for Governor finds Congressman Eric Swalwell leading the open primary with 17%, followed by Steve Hilton (13%), Tom Steyer (11%), Chad Bianco (11%), and Katie Porter (8%). A quarter of voters, 25%, are undecided.
March 11, 2026
Emerson College

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #25 on:** April 05, 2026, 07:15:38 pm »

Quote from: mountaineer on April 05, 2026, 07:09:40 pm

fwiw ...

Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer and Eric Swalwell leading California governor's race, new polls show
Updated on: March 24, 2026 / 9:33 PM PDT / CBS LA

A new Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey of the June primary for Governor finds Congressman Eric Swalwell leading the open primary with 17%, followed by Steve Hilton (13%), Tom Steyer (11%), Chad Bianco (11%), and Katie Porter (8%). A quarter of voters, 25%, are undecided.
March 11, 2026
Emerson College

It's Cali. They'll have two Dems running against each other in the General if they have to cheat in the Primary to do it.