Eric Swalwell scandal impacts California governor's race

The sudden exit of former Democratic front-runner Eric Swalwell in California’s gubernatorial race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom has sent shock waves through the contest, reshaping the field.

A new Emerson College poll found former Fox News host and Republican candidate Steve Hilton, now boasting a presidential endorsement from Donald Trump, leading the pack with 17 percentage points.

He is followed by his Republican opponent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is tied for second place with billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer at 14%.

Steyer, who was previously trailing Swalwell — who now stands accused by four women of sexual assault and has since resigned his seat in Congress — now leads the field of Democratic candidates.

The surprising beneficiary of this shake-up has been San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate who announced his run this year and now appears to be gaining some momentum following a slow start.

Mahan, strongly backed by Rick Caruso, had been unable to break out of 3% in polling until now —qualifying him to appear in the upcoming governor’s debate hosted by Nexstar Media Group.

Here’s the latest on the allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell

Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra were tied at 10% each.

A large share of California voters are still up for grabs, with as many as 23% remaining undecided ahead of the June primary.

California uses a top-two primary system, meaning only the two candidates who receive the most votes — regardless of party preference — advance to the general election ballot.

This is the case even if a candidate receives a majority of the vote (50% plus one) in the primary.

The poll was conducted April 14–15 among 1,000 likely voters in California and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Incumbent Gavin Newsom has so far stayed on the sidelines in the jam-packed 2026 governor’s race, declining to back a successor even as the field grows more crowded and controversy swirls.

Despite mounting calls to weigh in, Newsom has resisted throwing his support behind any candidate, instead urging voters to “choose wisely” while he focuses on finishing out his term.