Swalwell out, Steyer in as Democratic candidates

WASHINGTON—U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced Monday he will no longer seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, becoming the first candidate to pull out of the 2020 race. He plans to instead run for reelection to his congressional seat in the San Francisco Bay Area. Swalwell, who has served in Congress since 2013, said that the “polls have had their way” with his campaign. He was in danger of being excluded from the next debates at the end of this month due to low polling and donation numbers. Some polls showed him at zero percent support after the first debates in late June. Swalwell’s signature issue was an effort to end gun violence in the wake of school shootings in the United States.

Meanwhile, Californian billionaire and environmental activist Tom Steyer joined the still large Democratic field on Tuesday. He originally announced he would not run and instead called on Congress to impeach President Donald Trump. Steyer, 62, said his presidential campaign would focus on reducing the power of corporations and attacking climate change rather than an impeachment effort.