Listen up, folks—California’s already a dumpster fire under Gavin Newsom, with sky-high taxes, homeless camps turning streets into no-go zones, and businesses fleeing faster than rats from a sinking ship. But now, Eric Swalwell, that blowhard congressman who’s spent years grandstanding on TV, has thrown his hat in the ring for governor. He announced it on November 20, 2025, during a late-night TV spot, positioning himself as the ultimate Trump-hater ready to “fight” for the Golden State. If you thought Newsom was bad, Swalwell could crank the crazy up to eleven, turning California into an even bigger socialist experiment while cozying up to every progressive fever dream. Let’s break this down, because the guy’s got a backstory that’s equal parts ambition and red flags, and his “plans” sound like more of the same failed policies that got us here.
NEW: Democrat Eric Swalwell announces run for California governor, says California is the “greatest country in the world.”
Swalwell says he is “pissed” off to see “Californians running through the fields.”
“This great state needs a fighter and a protector, someone who will… pic.twitter.com/plKLnTlPaB
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 21, 2025
From Iowa Farm Boy to Bay Area Bureaucrat
Eric Swalwell was born on November 16, 1980, in Sac City, Iowa—the oldest of four boys in a Republican family. His dad was a police chief in Algona, but they uprooted to Dublin, California, when Eric was young. He dealt with Bell’s palsy as a kid, wearing an eyepatch that probably toughened him up a bit. First in his family to go to college, he snagged a soccer scholarship at Campbell University in North Carolina from 1999 to 2001, but busted both thumbs and lost it. Transferred to the University of Maryland, College Park, where he grabbed a bachelor’s in government and politics in 2003, then a law degree in 2006.
After interning for Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher—sparked by the 9/11 attacks—he became a deputy district attorney in Alameda County. Dipped his toes in local politics with stints on Dublin’s Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission from 2006 to 2008 and Planning Commission from 2008 to 2010. Elected to Dublin City Council in 2010, he bolted for Congress in 2012, shocking everyone by knocking off 40-year incumbent Pete Stark in California’s 15th district with 52.1 percent of the vote. He’s been reelected ever since: 69.8 percent in 2014, 73.8 in 2016, 73.0 in 2018, 70.9 in 2020, and after redistricting to the 14th district, 69.3 in 2022 and 67.8 in 2024.
In D.C., Swalwell’s climbed the ladder on committees like Homeland Security, Science, Space and Technology, Intelligence—where he was ranking member on the CIA Subcommittee—and Judiciary. He’s co-chaired the House Democratic Steering Committee since 2017. Founded the Future Forum in 2015 to yak about millennial gripes like student debt, and the Sharing Economy Caucus that same year. Pushed bills on everything from typhoon relief in 2013 to probing election interference in 2016 and 2017. Served as an impeachment manager in Trump’s second trial in 2021 and even sued Trump and others over January 6 that year. His 2019 presidential run fizzled after three months, but hey, at least he endorsed Biden.
Policy-wise, he’s all-in on the lefty playbook: repeal No Child Left Behind, hike education spending while slashing defense, pump federal bucks into green jobs, lift the Social Security tax cap, back same-sex marriage, and stay pro-choice—fuming over the Dobbs decision in 2022 as “government-mandated pregnancy.” Gun control’s his jam, pushing assault weapon bans and buybacks. Foreign policy? Sponsored an Israel anti-boycott bill in 2017, ripped Trump’s China trade war in 2019, wanted Turkey out of NATO over Syria that year, and in 2022 suggested booting Russian diplomats and students amid Ukraine. Voted with Biden 100 percent through October 2021. But in a state like California, where America First means putting citizens before endless giveaways, Swalwell’s record screams more government, more spending, and less accountability.
The Fang Fang Fiasco: Sleeping with the Enemy?
Here’s where it gets juicy—and alarming. Back in December 2020, reports dropped that Swalwell had ties to Christine Fang, aka Fang Fang, a suspected Chinese spy who’d been schmoozing up-and-coming California pols since at least 2012. She bundled cash for his 2014 campaign, showed up at his events, and even hooked an intern into his office. This wasn’t some casual acquaintance; Fang was knee-deep in his orbit, fundraising and networking like a pro.
Swalwell claims he cut her off in 2015 after an FBI briefing on Chinese infiltration ops. The feds say he cooperated fully, no classified info was spilled, and he wasn’t accused of any wrongdoing. The House Ethics Committee poked around in April 2021 and wrapped up in May 2023 with zero action, just a finger-wag about foreign influence risks. But come on— this is the guy who sat on the Intelligence Committee, privy to America’s secrets, while a Beijing operative was in his inner circle? He blamed the leak on Trump payback for his impeachment role, and yeah, it sparked nasty threats against him and his family. Still, in 2023, Speaker Kevin McCarthy yanked him from Intel, calling it a security no-brainer after an FBI huddle.
America First demands we vet our leaders like hawks, especially on China—the biggest threat to our jobs, tech, and sovereignty. Swalwell’s entanglement raises eyebrows: Was he naive, compromised, or just sloppy? In a governor’s mansion, that kind of judgment could spell disaster for California’s ports, tech hubs, and economy, all ripe for Chinese meddling. We’ve seen enough espionage scandals; do we really want this guy calling the shots?
Blueprints for More Blue-State Blues
Swalwell’s gubernatorial pitch? He’s California’s “fighter and protector,” vowing to slash high prices, boost wages, and make folks less scared. Sounds peachy, but dig in: His announcement hammers Trump for “militarizing streets,” axing cancer research, gutting clean energy, and hounding immigrants at work, schools, and churches. It’s classic resistance theater, positioning California as a rebel stronghold against federal overreach.
No detailed manifesto yet, but expect echoes of his D.C. playbook: More green mandates that jack up energy bills, gun grabs that leave law-abiding citizens defenseless while criminals run wild, and open-border sympathy that strains schools and hospitals. He’s griped about affordability, but his fixes? Likely more taxes on the rich, bigger handouts, and regs that choke businesses—exactly what’s driven a million-plus Californians out since 2020. In a state where gas hits $5 a gallon, homes cost a fortune, and crime’s a daily headline, Swalwell’s anti-Trump obsession won’t fix squat. It’ll just amp up the divide, turning Sacramento into a bigger echo chamber for failed progressive experiments.
Recent chatter shows he’s banking on billionaire backers and quick cash grabs in a crowded field with names like Katie Porter, Xavier Becerra, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Tom Steyer. But with 44 percent of voters undecided per a UC Berkeley poll this month, it’s anyone’s game. Swalwell’s betting his cable-news bravado and Trump-bashing will rally the base, but for everyday Californians grinding through blackouts and tent cities, it’s just more hot air.
Why Swalwell Would Be Worse Than Newsom
Newsom’s turned California into a cautionary tale: Highest poverty rate when adjusted for costs, businesses bolting to Texas, and a budget bloated with virtue-signaling boondoggles. Swalwell? He’d double down, blending Newsom’s slick style with his own D.C. drama-queen antics. From his spy scandal to his endless Trump fixation, he’s got baggage that could drag the state deeper into chaos. California needs leaders who put Americans first—securing borders, slashing regs, and unleashing energy independence—not another showboat turning the Golden State into fool’s gold. If Swalwell wins, pack your bags; the exodus will hit warp speed.