Eric Swalwell Ends Short-Lived Presidential Bid, Will Seek Reelection to Congress

And then there were 22.

Rep. Eric Swalwell on Monday became one of the first candidates in the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential primary to exit the campaign, announcing that he would instead seek reelection to his California congressional seat next year.

Swalwell made the announcement from his home district of Dublin, describing the decision as "the beginning of an opportunity in Congress with a new perspective" influenced by his three-month presidential bid.

The four-term congressman failed to gain significant traction with voters, a fact Swalwell acknowledged on Monday, saying that "polls have had their way" in determining his viability. He had recently signaled that he would consider bowing out if he was in danger of missing the cutoff for the next nationally televised Democratic debate later this month, which is based on separate polling and donor qualifications.

Swalwell, 38, attempted to cast himself as the candidate that could best represent younger Americans, but he was largely overshadowed by South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 37, and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, 46, of Texas.

"We had the money to try and qualify for the upcoming debate, but we believe that even if we did that, if you look at the September debate, it wouldn't add up," Swalwell said. "We wanted to be honest with ourselves and with our supporters. If there was a viable chance, I would not be standing here today. From day one, I was running to win."

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock missed the threshold for last month's debate, but was ahead of Swalwell in the competition for the next televised Democratic faceoff of the top 20 candidates.

Despite struggling to stand out during last month's debate, Swalwell said his appearance on the crowded stage had an impact. "We moved the needle on the debate stage on an issue that I was very passionate about: believing that every candidate should pledge they would support a ban and buyback of the 15 million assault weapons in our country," he said.

Asked whether other candidates with similarly lackluster success so far in the packed Democratic primary should also consider dropping out, Swalwell demurred, describing the decision as "really a personal decision." He also declined to indicate which of his former presidential rivals he might endorse in the primary, and said he had not entered the race as "a vanity project" or "to write a book."

As Swalwell prepares to seek another term in Congress, he said that he would not "take anything for granted." Indeed, he already has a challenger in his liberal-leaning district: Democrat Aisha Wahab, a city councilwoman in Hayward.

Swalwell is viewed as a rising star in the House Democratic majority, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi lauding him during an appearance in San Francisco on Monday. "He had a message of national security and gun safety that he wanted to convey to the country, and he did that," Pelosi told reporters.

Just as Swalwell announced his decision to end his campaign, another Californian, Tom Steyer, was preparing to enter the Democratic race, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. The San Francisco billionaire, who has helped lead the charge to impeach President Trump, had previously said he would not run, but was expected to soon announce his change of heart.

When asked about Steyer, Swalwell said, "Welcome to the race, and I wish him well."

KQED's Holly McDede contributed reporting to this article.