Former Rep. Eric Swalwell pulled off a difficult feat as he dropped out of the race for governor of California. He managed to make former Vice President Kamala Harris, often a political punchline, look like she would have been a stronger candidate.
Mr. Swalwell completed one of the swiftest collapses in modern politics, quitting his campaign for governor and giving up his seat in Congress amid mounting accusations of sexual misconduct, including raping a woman who worked in his congressional office.
If Mr. Swalwell hadn’t resigned from Congress, it’s likely an ethics probe would have led to his expulsion. Even his longtime friend and Democratic colleague, Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, said he was “no longer fit to serve in Congress.”
The six-term lawmaker denied the allegations but apologized for “mistakes in judgment.”
“I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make,” he said.
Two criminal investigations, in New York and California, will determine whether Mr. Swalwell’s behavior was more than just bad judgment.
In case you think Democrats have cornered the market on sexual misconduct, let us introduce you to former Rep. Tony Gonzales, Texas Republican. He, too, resigned his seat on the same day as Mr. Swalwell, dogged by accusations of having sex with a female staffer who later took her own life.
Mr. Gonzales, who admitted the extramarital affair, was also facing an ethics investigation and likely expulsion.
The behavior of Mr. Swalwell, in particular, was an open secret among Democrats for years. Whether colleagues suspected he was a predator or just creepy, it’s clear that they didn’t raise questions.
Why? Because Mr. Swalwell was one of the party’s rising stars as a leading critic of President Trump. He was an impeachment manager in Mr. Trump’s first impeachment and a constant presence on TV whenever the media sought anti-Trump sentiment.
It took a social media influencer who calls herself “Mrs. Frazzled” to turn a whisper campaign about Mr. Swalwell into action. But credit must also go to a group of House Republican women who have had enough of their male colleagues sexually harassing women in the workplace.
Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado are leading an effort to force more public disclosure of largely secretive ethics investigations into sexual harassment claims.
“Tony Gonzales is just the tip of the iceberg,” Ms. Mace said on social media. “There is no place for sexual harassment or unwelcome sexual advances in the House of Representatives. And we won’t let the Washington establishment keep protecting its own.”
Mr. Swalwell’s departure from the governor’s race has exposed the Democrats’ weak bench. California Democrats are picking up the pieces, left with a field of candidates led by perennially uninspiring activist Tom Steyer and former Rep. Katie Porter.
“This is not the Democratic A-Team,” said Sonoma State University political science professor David McCuan.
The polling has caused panic among Democratic Party leaders who fear their candidates could fall short of first or second place and be locked out of the November ballot. In California, the top two vote-getters in the primary move on to the general election, regardless of party.
Mr. Swalwell’s disgraceful departure has created another seemingly impossible political prospect — that Republicans have a real shot of capturing the California governor’s office this year. Republican Steve Hilton, endorsed by Mr. Trump, continues to lead in many internal polls.
