Swalwell to hold news conference amid speculation he could exit presidential race

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) will hold a press conference Monday afternoon amid speculation that he may be dropping out of the Democratic primary contest.

The news conference at his Dublin, Calif., headquarters is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT, his campaign said, though it did not provide details on what Swalwell planned to address. 

Swalwell announced his campaign for the White House in April but has struggled to gain traction. Speculation has swirled in recent days that the California congressman could be preparing to exit the primary.

{mosads}Most public polls show him in the low single digits or, in some cases, not registering at all. And while he met the polling threshold to qualify for the first set of primary debates, he could face trouble in the fall, when the bar for participation will be raised.

Last week, he abruptly canceled two days of campaign events in New Hampshire, further stoking rumors of an impending exit.

If Swalwell does drop out of the Democratic contest, he would be the first candidate in the crowded primary field to do so.

The four-term congressman has previously said that he could opt to run for reelection to his House seat if his presidential campaign doesn’t gain traction, telling The Hill last month that he had not closed the door on seeking a fifth term in the House.

“I’m running for president right now. Don’t have to make that decision [on the House race] until December,” Swalwell told The Hill. “We need this field to start shrinking so candidates can distinguish themselves. I hope to be part of the field as it shrinks. If I don’t, I’m going to be realistic about my options.”