California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing pushback for the timing of the special election to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) in the Bay Area congressional district.
The special runoff election is set for August 18, but the primary will occur on June 16 in the deep blue district where Swalwell won his last election by nearly 36 percent — approximately two months after the congressman’s resignation.
Compare that to the timeline to replace Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), who passed away in early January: a special election primary won’t take place until June 2 before a potential runoff on August 4 in the deeply Republican district. In either primary race, a candidate needs over 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff.
Additionally, in January 2020, following the resignation of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Gov. Newsom faced scrutiny over the decision not to have a special election at all, which left the seat vacant for almost an entire year.
“Ask Greg Abbott about the 18th congressional district in Texas,” Brandon Richards, deputy director for Rapid Response for Newsom’s office, told The Daily Wire when asked about the unusual timing. In Texas’ 18th Congressional District, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) faced criticism from Democrats over the seat being left open for over a year.
“It’s another example of how Gavin Newsom, he doesn’t care about stripping people of their voice and their representation as long as it politically benefits him,” State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-CA) said. DeMaio was a vocal critic of the decision to keep Hunter’s seat vacant, according to Politico.
“If it’s a Republican seat, [Newsom] won’t call the special election at all, or he’ll try to delay it for as long as possible, as he did with LaMalfa. And if it’s a Democrat seat, ‘Oh, my goodness,’ he’s gonna basically stretch and tear every single logistical hurdle, in order to get the seat filled,” the lawmaker added.
Republicans currently hold an extremely narrow 218-213 majority in the House of Representatives, as mid-decade redistricting will drastically change the maps in California, Texas, and other states until after the 2030 census data is evaluated.
California added five Democrat-leaning seats for the November election with the passage of Prop. 50, while Texas added five Republican-leaning seats. Other states have taken similar measures, including Virginia, which will vote on April 21 on whether to create a 10-1 Democrat-leaning map.
Swalwell resigned on Tuesday following multiple allegations of sexual assault and harassment. He also opted to suspend his campaign to become California’s next governor — though many surveys showed that he was the highest polling Democrat in the crowded top-two primary — but he lost nearly all of his endorsements when the allegations became public.
“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 allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make,” he said in a statement as an expulsion vote loomed over him.
“Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties,” Swalwell wrote. “Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress. I will work with my staff in the coming days to ensure they are able, in my absence, to serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district.”
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