One Less Democrat Is Running For President

And then there were... Well, still a lot of them.


Eric Swalwell, a Congressman from California, has dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election.


"Today ends our presidential campaign, yet it is the starting of a possibility in Congress, with a new perspective shaped by the lives that have touched mine and our campaign while in these last three months, to bring that promise of America to all Residents of the
U.S. The Congressman mentioned in a speech delivered at his campaign headquarters.


Swalwell has represented the state's 15th congressional district, which is just east of San Francisco and north of San Jose, since 2013 and says he plans to continue his work in Congress. He'll run as an incumbent in 2020.


"I ran for President to win and make a difference in our wonderful nation — a difference on issues of the future like finding cures for our deadliest and most debilitating diseases, taking on the student cash advance debt crisis, and ending gun violence," he explained on his campaign website, The Hill noted. "I promised my family member, constituents, and supporters that I would routinely be trustworthy about our chances. Soon following the initial Democratic presidential debate, our polling and fundraising numbers weren’t what we had hoped for, and I no longer visualize a path forward to the nomination."


Swalwell first reported his candidacy in April while in an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert; at the time, there were already at least 17 other people seriously pursuing the nomination. While in his campaign, he championed characteristic of the Green New Deal, along with a modification of Medicare-For-All he called Medicare-For-All-Who-Want-It, which would offer Medicare as a public alternative alongside other private-sector insurance. He also championed a federal gun buyback program for assault weapons and closing the loopholes that activists mention contribute to gun violence.


Perhaps his biggest moment while in his short-lived campaign came while in the second night of the initial primary debates, on June 27 in Miami, Florida. That night, he challenged former Vice President Joe Biden by recounting the story of any time as a presidential candidate came to the California Democratic convention and mentioned it is almost time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans. That candidate was then-Senator Joe Biden. He was right any time if he mentioned that 32 years back. He is still right today."


The message — that Democrats need to "pass the torch to a new generation" sort in attempt to overcome President Trump in 2020 — is one he alluded to in his speech ending his presidential bid.


"I really believe that the perfect matchup against Donald Trump is somebody who lives in the future, nevertheless isn't going to ever stop thinking about the present," he added at his headquarters, per Politico.


Swalwell is technically not the opening Democrat to drop out of the race; as BuzzFeed notes, former West Virginia state senator Richard Ojeda left his campaign in January, right after launching the campaign in November 2018. And while he may leave the crowded Democratic party with one far less candidate, someone else might pick up his torch soon — there really are rumors that billionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer will be announcing a bid for the 2020 presidency soon.