As reported by Carla Marinucci and Jeremy B. White in Politico:
California Rep. Eric Swalwell, dogged by fundraising challenges and a failure to register in the polls, is ending his longshot bid for the presidency.
Two weeks ago, Swalwell, 38, called on Democratic front-runner Joe Biden to “pass the torch” of party leadership to a new generation in the first Democratic presidential debates. But on Monday, Swalwell called a press conference at his Dublin campaign headquarters to announce that instead of continuing in the Democratic primary, he will instead seek a fifth term representing the strongly Democratic East Bay 15th district in Congress.
“Being honest with ourselves, we had to look at how much money we were raising, where we were in the polls,” Swalwell told supporters, arguing that he had “moved the needle on the debate stage with an issue I was very passionate about,” referring to gun control measures. “So we’ve achieved that,’’ he said. “But we have to be honest about our own candidacy’s viability.”
Swalwell’s decision to bow out comes as another Californian, billionaire activist Tom Steyer — who had earlier ruled out a run for the White House — prepared to announce his entry into the race, POLITICO reported Monday. …
Click here to read the full story at Politico.com
After Stalwell dropped from the race, the Republican National Committee released this statement:
“As a no-name Congressman with disastrous ideas and no traction, it’s no surprise Eric Swalwell ‘nuked’ his own long shot bid for president. After hearing his radical proposals, American voters have clearly said ‘thank you, next’ to a Swalwell presidency.” – RNC Spokesperson Samantha Zager
