Eric Swalwell jumps into 2020 Democratic presidential race

Congressman Eric Swalwell talks with the Chronicle editorial board in San Francisco, Calif., as seen on Wed. Mar. 28, 2018. Congressman Eric Swalwell talks with the Chronicle editorial board in San Francisco, Calif., as seen on Wed. Mar. 28, 2018. Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Eric Swalwell jumps into 2020 Democratic presidential race 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEW YORK — East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell announced his candidacy for president Monday, betting that pitching himself as an agent of generational change who understands the challenges working families face will set him apart in a crowded Democratic field.

Swalwell, 38, made the announcement in New York at a taping of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS, after months of laying the groundwork for a run with trips to Iowa and other states that vote early in the selection process.

“I see a country in quicksand, unable to solve problems and threats from abroad, unable to make life better for people,” Swalwell said.

“None of that is going to change until we get a leader who is willing to go big on the issues we take on, be bold on the solutions we offer, and do good in the way we govern. I’m ready to solve these problems.”

One message that Swalwell is banking will resonate with voters is gun safety. He will follow up the TV appearance with a town-hall meeting Tuesday on gun violence in Sunrise, Fla., near the high school in Parkland where a gunman killed 17 people, 14 of them students, in February 2018. Many of the young survivors have become influential national activists. Swalwell drew applause on the show when he said, “Too many kids are dying, and no one in Washington is doing enough about it.”

Swalwell also said he thinks he can win over working-class voters who supported Donald Trump in 2016, drawing on his biography to argue that he understands their struggles.

Swalwell, the son of a police officer, was the first in his family to go to college and says he is still paying off his student loans. His parents are Republicans and Fox News viewers, something Colbert noted on the show. The host called Swalwell’s mother on speakerphone live during the taping to ask if she would vote for her son.

“As long as none of his other brothers are running against him,” she said.

Swalwell’s two children are ages 2 and 5 months, and he said in February that he wouldn’t run if he couldn’t find child care that also enabled his wife, a hotel sales director in Half Moon Bay, to keep her “dreams and aspirations” alive.

He now says his wife will join him on the campaign trail with their children.

“We’ll just make it work,” he said.

Swalwell argued in an interview in Washington last week that his youth is an asset, saying he comes “from a generation that in the private sector is doing very big things to solve problems” but has a “pessimistic” view of government as a partner.

“I want to bring the optimism and collaboration from my generation here as a leader to change that tide,” he said.

The Dublin Democrat isn’t the only Millennial in the race, however — Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., is a year younger and gaining national attention. And Swalwell is starting the fundraising race late — Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders says he raised $18.2 million for his campaign in the first three months of the year, and Swalwell’s fellow Californian, Sen. Kamala Harris, reported raising $12 million.

Swalwell raised more than $3 million in winning election to a fourth term in the House in November, $2 million of it from individuals. He has joined several other Democrats in pledging to reject donations from corporate political action committees in his presidential campaign.

Swalwell points to his experience on the House Intelligence Committee as giving him the background in foreign policy and national security to be president. He said that if elected, he would take “a global affirmation tour” to reassure allies of the United States’ reliability and host an international climate change meeting.

Although he says the nation’s democracy is in a “deep, dark hole,” Swalwell faults President Trump less for his positions than for his ineffectiveness as a leader.

“I think there’s a case to be made that he was right on a lot of the issues he saw — people being disconnected from opportunity,” Swalwell said. “He was bold in some of the solutions he offered, but utterly failed to deliver.”

In a campaign video, Swalwell said Trump “was bold, but a lot of what he was bold about was just bulls—.”

Swalwell hasn’t scored any major legislative wins in his seven years in Congress, most of which were spent in the minority, but he has risen through the ranks under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco. Swalwell is co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which makes committee assignments and helps shape the party’s agenda.

Eric Swalwell Age: 38 Born: Sac City, Iowa Family:Married, two children ages 2 and 5 months. Education: Graduated from Dublin High School. Earned bachelor’s and law degrees from University of Maryland. Career: Alameda County deputy district attorney, 2006-12. Member of Dublin Town Council, 2010-12. Elected to the House in 2012, re-elected three times.

In a Democratic field that is approaching 20 candidates, Swalwell has no clear lane to himself. Buttigieg isn’t the only other candidate on the young side — other likely and declared candidates include Swalwell’s close friends Reps. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, 40, and Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, 37 — and their House colleague Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio is also running. Swalwell calls the company “comforting,” in a way.

“A lot of us in the field are close with one another, and I don’t think that makes it more awkward,” Swalwell said. “I think it makes it more comforting — that no matter who emerges, a lot of these people I trust to lead the country.”

Colbert poked fun by giving Swalwell some campaign signs with slogan options, including, “Swalwell 2020 — it’s easier to say than Buttigieg,” and, “One of your top 20 choices.”

The field is also the most diverse ever, with multiple women running, multiple candidates of color and an openly gay candidate, Buttigieg. Already, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke has faced questions about advantages he has had in life because he’s a white man. Swalwell said he’s prepared to do the same.

“I don’t think anyone’s identity disqualifies them,” Swalwell told The Chronicle. “It’s really a question (of), do you see other people’s identities? And do you see, especially as a white male, the privilege that you’ve had compared to other persons’ identities, and are you willing to pass the mike when you’re not the right person to speak about an issue and have people around you who can speak to their experiences?”

Swalwell will not run for re-election to Congress while running for president, as he first told The Chronicle’s “It’s All Political” podcast.

“I’m going to keep both feet firmly in one lane, and I’m running for president,” he said.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicle’s Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan