Overview
- Democratic businessman Stephen Cloobeck ended his 2026 bid on Monday and backed Rep. Eric Swalwell during a joint appearance on CNN.
- Cloobeck said he would merge his campaign into Swalwell’s, offering his work and network to bolster the congressman’s run.
- A recent Los Angeles Times–co-sponsored poll showed Cloobeck under 0.5% support, underscoring that his value lies in resources rather than direct vote share.
- Swalwell, who launched his campaign last week, is stressing housing affordability and a vote-by-phone proposal that has drawn criticism from the White House and Republican rivals.
- The field remains crowded with Democrats Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Antonio Villaraigosa and Republicans Steve Hilton and Sheriff Chad Bianco, as many voters remain undecided ahead of the June 2, 2026 primary.