The political landscape in California shifted abruptly late Friday after multiple women leveled sexual assault allegations against Representative Eric Swalwell. As the news broke, the persistent, low hum of a cooling fan in the office seemed to grow louder while I waded through the dozens of statements—or lack thereof—from his Democratic colleagues.
Swalwell, who had been a frontrunner for the state’s gubernatorial race, has denied everything. He took to X to call the claims “flat false,” suggesting the timing was a calculated attempt to derail his primary bid. But his colleagues aren’t necessarily falling in line. Actually, looking at the tally, the party seems fractured, with some calling for his exit from the race while others remain strangely quiet.
Governor Gavin Newsom, who hasn’t picked a side in the primary, issued a brief, rather dry statement calling the allegations “deeply troubling.” Meanwhile, Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff have pushed for Swalwell to leave the governor’s race. It’s a bit messy, though. Neither senator explicitly demanded he resign from Congress. Or maybe they are waiting for more? It’s hard to tell given the lack of responses to follow-up inquiries.
Of the 42 House Democrats from California, only three—Jared Huffman, Sam Liccardo, and Mike Levin—have openly called for his resignation from his current seat. Huffman, in particular, took a sharp turn on Saturday, moving from silence to stating he’d support an expulsion vote. “I’ve seen enough,” he wrote. It’s a bold stance compared to many of his peers, some of whom were busy posting about other legislative priorities—like the Artemis II mission—even as the allegations hit the headlines.
It’s a strange, stop-and-start process watching these endorsements crumble. Representative Julia Brownley pulled hers, citing “serious and deeply disturbing” claims, yet she didn’t join the call for resignation. The pattern repeats across the delegation: withdrawal of support for the campaign, followed by a total wall of silence regarding the House seat. It’s as if they want to keep the political distance without fully committing to the nuclear option of expulsion.
There is a real sense of hesitation here. Many offices didn’t respond to Misryoum when asked specifically if they supported expulsion or resignation. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was one of the few to go all the way, declaring his conduct “incompatible with elected office.” Whether the rest follow suit remains to be seen—or maybe they’re just waiting for the New York investigation to yield something more concrete.