SACRAMENTO, CA — Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a special election to fill the seat of former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned from Congress Tuesday after numerous allegations of sexual assault.
The election will take place Aug. 18. The winner will only serve until January 2027, when Swalwell’s term was set to end. After that, the seat will be filled by the candidate who wins the November election.
The special election sets in motion a separate primary and runoff for a seat that is already being campaigned for. Candidates must file separately to run in the special election, even if they are already running in the regularly scheduled race. A special primary on June 16 will decide the top two candidates who can advance to the August special election.
Meanwhile, the regular campaign will continue as planned. A number of candidates have already filed to represent California’s 14th congressional district, which covers a populous East Bay region that includes Hayward, Castro Valley, Livermore, Pleasanton, Union City, and parts of Dublin and Fremont. A primary on June 2 will determine the top two candidates who will be on the ballot in November.
The district will not have a representative in Congress until the Aug. 18 special election.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, who represented the region since 2013, resigned abruptly on Tuesday, shortly after suspending his gubernatorial campaign. He faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, and two allegations of rape. On Tuesday, Lonna Dewes alleged that he drugged, raped, and choked her at a Southern California hotel in 2018.
Swalwell has denied these allegations, but apologized for “mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.”
“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” he said Sunday when announcing he was suspending his campaign.
Both the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office have said they are investigating the assault allegations.
SEE ALSO:
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Dublin, CA Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.