The collapse of Eric Swalwell’s campaign and career is creating an opening for lower-polling Democrats in the California governor’s race — and some candidates are leaning into the family man image.
Among those looking to capitalize on Swalwell’s exit after a series of allegations involving rape, sexual assault and other illicit misconduct, former U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan are emphasizing personal character alongside experience as voters reassess the field in the wake of the scandal.
Michael Bustamante, a spokesperson for Becerra’s campaign, highlighted the candidate’s long marriage to his wife, Carolina Reyes, a physician, as evidence of steadiness.
On Tuesday evening, Becerra cut short media interviews after a candidate panel to celebrate his wife’s birthday with their daughter, an immigration attorney in Salinas.
“Experience matters, and Xavier Becerra by far has the greatest amount of experience of any of the candidates in the field,” Bustamante said.
“He’s not the flashiest, but he certainly has a steady hand on the wheel, and at the end he will demonstrate his extraordinary skill set and prowess once he becomes governor.”
Mahan’s campaign is taking a similar approach, casting the mayor as a relatable and grounded figure with a stable personal life.
Raghu Devaguptapu, a political consultant for Mahan’s campaign, described his candidate as “the epitome of a family man.”
“He and his wife have two kids and they’re a great family,” Devaguptapu said. “And there’s no skeletons in his closet.”
Recent campaign messaging has leaned heavily into that image, with social media posts showing Mahan spending time with his family at a San Jose farmer’s market and highlighting how he and his wife, Sylvia — the CEO of Cristo Rey San José, a Jesuit school — balance family life with the demands of the campaign.
“The ad we just launched is nothing but relatability,” Devaguptapu said. “He’s a down-to-earth and really warm guy, and the more voters see that, they’ll gravitate toward him.”
Swalwell has denied the criminal allegations against him, but his exit after leading Democratic candidates has left endorsements, donors and staff up for grabs.
Becerra and Mahan are both seeking to gain traction after months of lagging behind better-funded or higher-profile rivals such as progressive billionaire Tom Steyer and lefty former congresswoman Katie Porter.
Now, with the most problematic candidate out of the race, campaigns are betting on a reset. Let’s just hope no one starts making ads about dad bods.
