California Governor Race Gets Rocky with New Sexual Assault Claims

A California Democrat running for governor faces serious accusations after a former staff member publicly accused him of sexual assault. The woman claims two separate incidents happened—one in 2019 while she still worked for him, and another in 2024 after she left his team. She says she was too drunk to agree to both situations, and in the second encounter, she remembers pushing him away and saying no, but he didn’t stop. The candidate strongly denies all claims, calling them false and politically timed.This isn’t the first time accusations like these have surfaced. Three other women have also come forward with stories about unwanted messages or photos from him, though he denies those too. His response suggests this is an election-year attack, pointing out his long career in public service and his work supporting women. Still, the damage to his campaign is already happening. Major political figures are pulling their support fast. A U. S. senator and a big teachers’ union have withdrawn endorsements, and party leaders are telling him to quit the race. This comes at a tough moment because he was seen as a top pick in a crowded governor’s race where the top two vote-getters in June move on to November’s final vote.