California’s political landscape was jolted this week as Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat who has represented the East Bay area in Congress since 2013, officially resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives on April 14, 2026. The resignation came amid a storm of sexual misconduct allegations, including claims of rape and inappropriate behavior, triggering a cascade of political maneuvers and setting the stage for a high-stakes special election in California’s 14th Congressional District.
Governor Gavin Newsom wasted no time responding to the vacancy. On the same day as Swalwell’s resignation, Newsom issued a formal proclamation ordering a special election to fill the seat. According to the governor’s proclamation, “a special election shall be held on the 18th day of August 2026, within the 14th Congressional District of the State, to fill the vacancy in the office of the U.S. House of Representatives from said district resulting from the resignation of Representative Eric Swalwell.” This move ensures that voters in the district—which includes parts of Alameda County such as Hayward, Pleasanton, Livermore, Union City, Castro Valley, and portions of Dublin and Fremont—will have their voices heard in determining who will serve out the remainder of Swalwell’s term, set to expire in January 2027.
The process for filling the seat will begin with a special primary election on June 16, 2026, just two weeks after California’s regular primary. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will appear on the same ballot. If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to the August 18 special election. This winner-take-all contest will decide who holds the seat through the end of the current term, while a separate race for the full term beginning in 2027 is already underway.
The field for both the special election and the upcoming full-term contest is crowded and competitive. Nine candidates have declared their intentions to run in the June 16 primary for the full term. The list includes State Senator Aisha Wahab, Bay Area Rapid Transit Board President Melissa Hernandez, San Leandro City Council member Victor Aguilar Jr., businesswoman Carin Elam, graphic designer Matt Ortega, nonprofit attorney Rakhi Israni Singh, real estate investor Wendy Huang, business owner Dena Maldonado, and lawyer Suzanne Chenault. The top two candidates from the June primary will then move on to a November runoff, which will determine who represents the district starting in January 2027.
The urgency behind this rapid electoral response is underscored by the circumstances of Swalwell’s departure. According to reporting from Roll Call, Fox News, and the San Francisco Chronicle, Swalwell faced mounting pressure from both sides of the political aisle to resign or face expulsion following a series of allegations. Four former staffers accused him of a range of sexual misconduct, including sending unsolicited photos of his genitalia. On the morning of his resignation, a fifth woman came forward alleging that Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018. The allegations were widely reported, including by CNN, and led to the suspension of Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign on April 12, 2026.
In his resignation letter, which was read aloud on the House floor, Swalwell addressed his constituents, staff, and family: “I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me, however, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.” He has consistently denied the most serious accusations and vowed to contest them, but acknowledged “mistakes in judgment.”
The fallout from Swalwell’s resignation is being felt not just in California, but nationally. With his exit, the House of Representatives now has four vacancies—two from each party—further tightening the already razor-thin margin between Democrats and Republicans. The balance of power in the House is so precarious that every seat counts, and the outcome of these special elections could have significant implications for the remainder of the 119th Congress.
Swalwell was not the only embattled lawmaker to leave Congress this week. Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas also resigned on April 14, 2026, after revelations of an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. Unlike California, where state law requires a special election to fill House vacancies, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has not yet announced when voters will choose Gonzales’s successor. The seat is considered competitive, adding another layer of uncertainty to the House’s delicate partisan balance.
Elsewhere, New Jersey’s 11th District is set to hold a special election on April 16, 2026, to replace Democrat Mikie Sherrill, who resigned last fall after her election as governor. In northern California, the 1st District remains without representation following the death of Republican Doug LaMalfa in January. A special election for LaMalfa’s seat is scheduled for August 4, 2026, if no candidate wins an outright majority in the June 2 primary.
California’s 14th District, however, is widely regarded as a Democratic stronghold. According to Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, the district’s partisan lean makes it likely that a Democrat will prevail in both the special and regular elections. Still, the crowded field and the high-profile nature of the allegations against Swalwell have injected a sense of unpredictability into the race. Voters will have to weigh the qualifications and platforms of a diverse slate of candidates, all while the shadow of scandal lingers over the district’s recent history.
Governor Newsom’s hands were tied when it came to filling the vacancy by appointment, a maneuver he employed in 2023 following the death of Senator Dianne Feinstein. House rules, unlike those of the Senate, require that vacancies be filled by election, not gubernatorial appointment. As a result, the people of the 14th District will determine their own representation through the ballot box.
As the special election approaches, the eyes of California—and indeed the nation—will be watching closely. The outcome will not only decide who represents a key district in the Bay Area but could also have ripple effects in Washington, where every seat is increasingly precious. For now, the campaign trail beckons for the nine contenders, each hoping to convince voters that they are best suited to restore trust and provide effective leadership after a tumultuous chapter in the district’s political story.
With a special primary just weeks away and a general election to follow, the voters of California’s 14th District find themselves at the center of a pivotal political moment, one that will shape the district’s future and reverberate far beyond the Bay Area.