Eric Swalwell drops California governor bid under pressure from Democrats after sexual assault allegations

Rep. Eric Swalwell finally threw in the towel and waived his candidacy to try to replace Gavin Newsom as governor of California. Pressure from prominent Democrats for him to step down in the face of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior allegations piling up against him was instrumental in the congressman's decision to focus on his defense.

Swalwell made his decision public in a terse statement on social media. The California lawmaker, who has already starred in other controversies in the past, reiterated his innocence and apologized to his family for his "past errors in judgment."

Pressure from Democratic leaders

Over the weekend, Democratic Party heavyweights such as Congressional Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark called on their colleague to step back.

Even Golden State Senator Adam Schiff, who had endorsed him, announced he was withdrawing his support and invited him to step aside. In a statement, Nancy Pelosi also assured that she called Swalwell and asked him not to go ahead with the campaign, while asking for an investigation into the facts of which he is accused.