Longtime Republican strategist Mike Madrid suggested the Democratic Party take a long look at reevaluating the race for governor in California after four different women accused one of the leading candidates, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), of sexual assault and misconduct on Friday.
“I think the Democratic Party really is having this come-to-Jesus moment where it needs to have a very robust discussion between as many candidates as possible to figure out what it is, what it stands for and who’s going to be the standard bearer,” he said on CNN’s “Laura Coates Live.”
Madrid is a co-founder of The Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans formed in 2019 to oppose President Donald Trump. He said Democrats should have “a bigger discussion” after Friday’s allegations to decide which candidate they want “to start driving California forward.”
Host Laura Coates, a former prosecutor, noted Swalwell has been “steadfast” in denying the accusations and that people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, she also said the court of public opinion can have “a very different take” and impact Swalwell’s continuing bid for governor.
Swalwell, who is married with three children and was among the Democratic frontrunners to replace outgoing California Gov. Gavin Newsom, denied the allegations in a social media video Friday, calling them “absolutely false” and apologizing to his wife and supporters.
“Democrats were beginning to rally around his campaign and kind of back him as sort of this leader of the resistance as California Democratic leaders are kind of expected to be,” Madrid told Coates. “But you’re asking the right question, which is, ‘What happens now?’”
He continued, “There are so many questions about the state of the Democratic Party in California. This is a state that should have three or maybe four future presidential aspirants running for governor, but there’s nothing even remotely like that.”
Swalwell was accused on Friday by four women in reports from The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN. One said he sent her “inappropriate” messages in 2019, including a photo of his genitals. Another said she was too drunk to consent when Swalwell sexually assaulted her.
Some of his biggest backers have since dropped their endorsements and called for his exit.
Madrid said this does “open up” the field of gubernatorial candidates in California and that “six or seven viable” figures could emerge over the next few weeks, adding it’s “unfortunate” that the state’s Democratic Party chair, Rusty Hicks, is “asking people to get out of the race.”
After making his case that the party is now reassessing its identity ahead of the elections in November, he urged California Democrats to “use this as an opportunity to open up and not narrow it down and try to predetermine who those candidates are going to be.”
