East Bay Congressman Swalwell 'Considering' 2020 Presidential Run
FREMONT (KPIX 5) -- East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell said he is "considering" a possible run for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election.
"I'm considering it," Swallwell said to reporters ahead of an event with constituents at a Fremont restaurant Friday morning.
"It's an exciting decision to make and it's a big decision to make," the representative said. "I do think that though our country's path forward is through a candidate who can bring new energy, new ideas and new leadership, new confidence to solve these problems."
A vociferous critic of President Donald Trump, Swallwell said his top priority this fall is returning control of Congress to the Democrats.
"The four freedoms that Franklin Roosevelt promised all of us is under attack right now. And the best thing that I can do in Congress right now is defend those freedoms but also be a part of the solution to build on those freedoms and expand opportunity," he said.
Swallwell, 37, was a former prosecutor for the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. The three-term representative took office in 2013, replacing 20-term incumbent Pete Stark.
Swallwell's district covers parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
The congressman joins a long list of possible contenders to unseat Trump in 2020, including Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Vice President Joe Biden.
None of the aforementioned contenders has officially filed paperwork for a presidential run, while Trump filed paperwork for his re-election bid on the day of his inauguration.
"We're going to have 15 to 20 people run, that is probably the best thing about this. I think crowded primaries flush out weaknesses and leaders emerge," Swallwell said.
Despite the big names being mentioned as presidential hopefuls in 2020, Swalwell said he would not consider a run if it wasn't realistic.
"I've been called a longshot all my life," the congressman said, noting he was the first in his family to go to college and practice law, along with beating Stark, a Democrat who represented the East Bay district for 40 years.
"So I know a thing or two about longshots, and I'm going to consider whether is worth doing for the country and my family, who would have to sacrifice," Swalwell went on to say.