Eric Swalwell drops out of presidential race
Eric Swalwell ended his presidential campaign on Monday. The California Congressman cited his reasons for leaving the race as a drop in “polling and fundraising numbers” in his farewell press release. Swalwell’s main focus during his run for president was to end all gun violence. His drop in polling numbers may be due to him not promoting other pressing issues like immigration and abortion as much as the other candidates.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has a similar campaign strategy to Swalwell’s. He focuses primarily on combating climate change, while pushing all other issues to the side. In the first presidential debate, he stated that “We are the first generation to experience the effects of climate change, and the last one to be able to do anything about it.” And although he may make a valid point to those who agree, his polling numbers show he is the least popular candidate currently running (as of July 8.) He, like Swalwell, has experienced a lack of support due to his fixation on one issue.
Swalwell has received lots of messages on Twitter from the other Democratic candidates congratulating him on his hard work and effort. On Monday, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris tweeted, “We are a stronger nation because of your work to protect our children and our communities from gun violence.” This is high praise from his competitor. Many of the candidates seem to realize that by supporting each other and disagreeing respectfully, they can help to push their own ideas into the oval office. On their campaign trails around the country, candidates have been seen cracking jokes and conversing in between speeches.
Another candidate to reach out to Swalwell following his press release was U.S. senator Cory Booker. On Monday, Booker tweeted, “Grateful for your public service and your leadership on working to end gun violence in our communities.” Booker lived in Newark, NJ, a city plagued by gun
violence, so Swalwell’s message of gun control and buyback spoke to him on a personal level. While Booker prioritizes gun safety, he also has a broader focus on issues such as immigration, attracting a wider variety of voters to his campaign.
Although Swalwell has left the race, the issue of gun control still remains a top issue among the majority of presidential candidates. His dedication to the cause and solution to gun violence will surely be remembered if a Democrat is elected to office. Swalwell will also continue to advocate for gun reform in his position as a congressman.
