A four-term West Coast congressman who headlined a political fundraiser in Columbus last year has announced he is running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Eric Swalwell, 38, who represents California’s 15th Congressional District, made the official announcement during a taping of CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Monday night.
Since 2016, Swalwell has been married to the former Brittany Watts, the daughter of Dr. Kathryn L. Watts and Dr. H. William Watts III. The congressman’s in-laws operate Watts Family Dentistry on National Road in Columbus.
Attempts to reach the congressman’s in-laws were unsuccessful Tuesday and a spokeswoman in their office said the couple would not be available until later in the week.
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The congressman and his future wife met while she was working as a sales director for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay, California. They have a son, Eric, who will turn 2 next month, and a 5-month-old daughter named Kathryn.
It was during a family visit to Columbus last spring that Swalwell agreed to be featured during a May 20 Democratic fundraising reception at Hotel Indigo, 400 Brown St. All proceeds from the tickets, which ranged in price from $75 to $100, benefited the Bartholomew County Democratic Party.
Bartholomew County Democratic Central Committee Chairman Bob Hyatt described Swalwell as “a young, energetic leader who is the future of both our party and our country.”
For the past few years, Swalwell has sparked some controversy by proposing a mandatory buyback of all military-style semi-automatic weapons. While making his announcement on the “Late Show,” Swalwell said his primary campaign issue will be combating gun violence.
As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Judiciary Committee, Swalwell has also been critical of President Donald Trump.
Swalwell is one of 18 Democrats who have announced a run for the presidency so far this year.
With essentially all major Democratic candidates swearing off corporate PAC contributions, Swalwell has received a significant amount from business PACs over the years, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsible Politics.
Throughout his career dating back to the 2012 cycle, Swalwell collected almost $2.7 million from PACs, with a majority of that ($1.9 million) coming from business PACs, the center stated in a report published this week.
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Born: Nov. 16, 1980 in Sac City, Iowa. His parents moved the family to California when he was a child.
Office: U.S. Representative for California’s 15th District since 2012.
Education: Bachelor of arts and law degree from the University of Maryland.
Previous work and political experience: Deputy district attorney in Alameda County, California. Elected to the Dublin, California, City Council in 2010.
Family: Brittany Watts (married 2016). Two children, Eric (will be 2 in May) and Kathryn (5 months).
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