Now California Democrats will need to plunge into the process of choosing a new leader a year and a half after Eric Bauman claimed the post in a contest that exposed fissures in the party. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo California Democratic Party chair resigns amid sexual misconduct allegations

Eric Bauman resigned Thursday as chairman of the California Democratic Party, yielding to mounting calls for his ouster from Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and other state leaders as he faces sexual misconduct allegations.

“I have made the realization that in order for those to whom I may have caused pain and who need to heal, for my own health, and in the best interest of the Party that I love and to which I have dedicated myself for more than 25 years, it is in everyone’s best interest for me to resign my position as chair of the California Democratic Party,” Bauman said in a statement.


He has also said he will seek treatment for substance abuse after facing allegations of regularly drinking on the job.

The ouster capped a swift reversal of fortune for Bauman, who had helped manage California’s dominant political party through sweeping midterm election gains. Even as Democrats celebrated the electoral rout over the Thanksgiving holiday, signs of trouble began to emerge.

A statement from party vice chair Daraka Larimore-Hall detailed accusations that Bauman had sexually harassed or assaulted individuals during party functions. At first Bauman showed little inclination of stepping aside, saying in a statement that “I look forward to putting these allegations behind us and moving forward as unified Democrats.”

But his standing eroded swiftly in the ensuing days. On Monday, Bauman announced that he would take a temporary leave of absence while the party investigated. On Thursday, less than 24 hours after the Los Angeles Times published a damning report that detailed allegations of Bauman repeatedly making unwanted advances or threatening comments, Bauman confirmed he would exit.

Elected Democrats had largely refrained from calling for Bauman’s exit, with the exception of Rep. Ro Khanna, but his departure began to assume an air of inevitability on Thursday as a crescendo of officials and liberal allies demanded he leave for the good of the party. The list included state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, California Democratic Party Secretary Jenny Bach and, most significantly, Newsom.

“Sexual harassment shouldn’t be tolerated — no person or party, no matter how powerful, is above accountability,” a Newsom spokesperson said in a statement, and “given the numerous detailed, severe and corroborated allegations reported by the Times, he believes the best course of action for the party is for the chair to resign.”

In the week-and-a-half since he first spoke to people who came forward with allegations, Larimore-Hall told POLITICO, he has heard from roughly 20 others who accused Bauman of wrongdoing. He said the experience had proven the party’s culture and bylaws were “inadequate.”

But he cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the political implications, pushing back on a question about the perception that some party insiders had enabled Bauman’s behavior.

“One thing I’ve learned is that people didn’t come forward precisely because they were afraid of their claims being politicized,” Daraka-Hall said. “Everyone should take a deep breath and just continue listening to the people who are coming forward.”

Now California Democrats will need to plunge into the process of choosing a new leader a year and a half after Bauman claimed the post in a contest that exposed fissures in the party.

Despite the party’s triumphant showing in the 2018 election, which saw Democrats flip seven Republican-held House seats and approach an unprecedented three-fourths control of the Legislature, Bauman’s departure has fanned fears of turbulence ahead.

In particular, party members are wary of a repeat of the rancorous 2017 contest between Bauman, who maintained deep ties to the party’s establishment, and Kimberly Ellis, who was allied with the party’s more progressive wing. Bauman prevailed after a bitterly contested poll that saw Ellis demand a recount.

Despite that uncertainty, advocates of Bauman stepping down had argued that his remaining on would be far more perilous for party unity as Democrats move into a presidential election that will see them try to defend 2018 gains while navigating the prospect of multiple Californians seeking the Democratic nomination.

Cascading sexual misconduct allegations had already rocked the world of California politics in the months leading up to Bauman’s ouster, leading to the departure of three sitting members of the Legislature and reprimands for more. The Legislature overhauled its process for adjudicating allegations of misconduct as critics described a pervasive culture of downplaying victim and enabling abusers.

Assemblymember Laura Friedman, a Los Angeles Democrat who helped oversee efforts to change the Legislature’s handling of complaints, said the Bauman controversy demonstrated the need to do more. She suggested better training employees and officials on the bounds of unacceptable behavior and their responsibility to report wrongdoing.

“I’m already starting to see finger-pointing, as it’s tempting to blame bystanders, potential witnesses and even victims who stayed silent,” she said in a statement, “but I believe it’s important to remember that the system failed everyone.”