Well, that escalated quickly.

Just days ago, Eric Swalwell was eyeing California’s governor’s mansion. Now? He’s out of Congress, his campaign is toast, and a growing chorus of accusers is asking why it took this long for the political class to take notice.

Two of those women, Ally Sammarco and Annika Albrecht, say they didn’t step forward lightly — but the thought of Swalwell climbing higher up the political ladder pushed them over the edge.

Their reasoning is blunt: the idea that he “could potentially harm even more women” made them feel “sick.” That’s not exactly the campaign slogan Democrats were hoping for.

Swalwell, once a seven-term fixture and party loyalist, hit the eject button this week after multiple allegations surfaced — including claims of sexual assault, rape, and explicit communications. The accusations, first reported late last week, triggered a political freefall that even seasoned Washington watchers didn’t see coming this fast.

In their first televised interview since going public, Sammarco and Albrecht described what they say started innocently enough — casual, “platonic” online exchanges and mentorship offers. But, according to them, things took a turn. Fast.

Those conversations allegedly became “more and more explicit,” painting a picture that clashes sharply with the polished public persona Swalwell spent years cultivating.

 “He thought he was untouchable. He acted with total impunity. He never thought that the consequences of his actions would follow him,” Sammarco said.

Untouchable — until he wasn’t.

And here’s where it gets even messier. The women say once they spoke out, the floodgates opened. Over the weekend, they were “shocked” by how many others reached out with similar stories. That’s rarely a good sign for someone trying to contain a scandal. Now there are reports another accuser is preparing to step forward publicly. If true, this story may not be slowing down anytime soon.

Sammarco, reflecting on the decision to come forward, framed it as a preemptive strike: “I think we just prevented another 30 to 40 years potentially of him harming people if he were to stay in Congress. Yeah. So in that sense, I think we have served justice for his future victims that won’t exist anymore.”

That’s a devastating claim — not just about one man, but about a system critics say too often protects its own until the headlines become impossible to ignore.

Swalwell, for his part, is walking a familiar political tightrope: deny the worst, admit just enough. He has pushed back on the most serious accusations while conceding what he calls “mistakes in judgment.”

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” he said, while adding, “I will fight the serious false allegation made against me… however, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”