Though Republican Steve Hilton has been the overall leader in the polls, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate had been polling ahead of others in his party heading into the June 2 "jungle primary" that will narrow the race for governor down to the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation — a rare system California adopted in 2010 to open up elections and weaken party control.
Democrats appeared quick to abandon Swalwell after allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, were published Friday in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN.
Swalwell continues to deny the allegations against him, but he suspended his campaign on Sunday.
"I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that's my fight, not a campaign's," he said in a social media post.
"Apparently, he's got some problems with his interns and other women that are coming forth now to say that he sexually harassed them or sexually abused them somehow or used his power and influence to lure them into these trysts," notes Kevin McGary, chairman of The Frederick Douglass Foundation of California.
He says Swalwell is a "grotesque" predator and a "reprehensible individual." McGary expects his already "collapsing" internal polling numbers "will continue to crater," and Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton will be the only two contenders on the ballot in November.
Tony Ortiz, the publisher of Current Revolt, a Texas-based investigative news outlet, told American Family Radio Monday that Swalwell suspending his campaign "smacked of a clear takedown," but it is an intentional move by the state's Democrats to consolidate the field and push voters to rally behind a certain candidate and keep Republicans out of the top two spots.
"It seems just really obvious that this is where the Democrats are focused," host Jenna Ellis posed.
"Two things could be true at the same time," Ortiz responded, noting that the timing of these allegations is "convenient."
"We'll have to see over these next couple of weeks, but I think that we may have the top two being the Republicans in the state of California, which would be a huge opportunity for a sea change in California politics," McGary submits.
