History of Eric Swalwell in Timeline

Eric Swalwell is an American lawyer and politician currently serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 14th congressional district since 2023, after representing the 15th district from 2013-2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he represents a district covering most of eastern Alameda County.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1945: George P. Miller Held the Seat

From 1945, George P. Miller held the seat now occupied by Eric Swalwell.

1972: Stark Unseated Miller

In 1972, Stark unseated Miller in the Democratic primary.

1973: End of George P. Miller's Term

In 1973, George P. Miller's term ended.

November 16, 1980: Eric Swalwell's Birth

On November 16, 1980, Eric Michael Swalwell was born. He is an American lawyer and politician.

Others born on this day/year

1999: Attended Campbell University

In 1999, Eric Swalwell attended Campbell University on a soccer scholarship.

1999: Graduation from Dublin High School

In 1999, Eric Swalwell graduated from Dublin High School.

2001: Internship for Ellen Tauscher

In 2001, Eric Swalwell began working as an unpaid intern for U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher.

2001: Thumb Injuries and Scholarship End

In 2001, Eric Swalwell broke both thumbs, which led to the end of his soccer scholarship at Campbell University. He then transferred to the University of Maryland, College Park.

2002: Continued Internship for Ellen Tauscher

In 2002, Eric Swalwell continued his unpaid internship for U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher, focusing on legislative research and constituent outreach.

2003: Received Bachelor of Arts

In 2003, Eric Swalwell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park.

2006: Joins Dublin Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission

In 2006, Eric Swalwell joined the Dublin Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission.

2006: Received Juris Doctor

In 2006, Eric Swalwell received a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

2008: Joins Dublin Planning Commission

In 2008, Eric Swalwell served on the Dublin Planning Commission.

2010: Elected to Dublin City Council

In 2010, Eric Swalwell was elected to the Dublin City Council.

September 2011: Filed to run for Congress

In September 2011, Eric Swalwell filed to run for Congress in California's 15th district and took a leave of absence from the Dublin City Council.

2012: San Francisco Chronicle Endorsed Swalwell

During the 2012 election cycle, the San Francisco Chronicle endorsed Swalwell. The Stark campaign accused Swalwell of being a Tea Party candidate, which was denied by Swalwell and dismissed by the San Jose Mercury News, which also endorsed Swalwell.

2012: Advocated Education and Social Security Changes

In 2012, Eric Swalwell advocated the repeal of the No Child Left Behind Act, increasing funding for education, and decreasing funding for defense. He also advocated creating renewable energy jobs with federal stimulus money and raising the cap on the Social Security payroll tax.

2012: Fang Cultivating Contacts

Since at least 2012, Christine Fang had been cultivating contacts with California politicians.

March 2013: Opposed Knife Policy on Airplanes

In March 2013, Eric Swalwell led the writing of an open letter to the TSA administrator, opposing a new policy that would allow passengers to bring knives onto airplanes. He also supports same-sex marriage and is pro-choice. Swalwell opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization and called it "an attack on everyone's freedom" and "government-mandated pregnancy".

June 18, 2013: Posted Video to Vine During House Vote

On June 18, 2013, Eric Swalwell used his mobile phone to record a video of his vote against a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks, and uploaded it to Vine. This action was seen as violating House rules.

December 12, 2013: Introduced Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act

On December 12, 2013, Eric Swalwell introduced the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act into the House.

2013: Represents California's 15th Congressional District

In 2013, Eric Swalwell began representing California's 15th congressional district.

March 25, 2014: Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act Signed into Law

On March 25, 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act into law.

April 15, 2014: Tax Deduction Deadline

April 15, 2014, marked the end of the period in which Americans could deduct charitable donations for Typhoon Haiyan relief from their 2013 taxes, as per the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act.

2014: Fang Participated in Fundraising

In 2014, Christine Fang participated in fundraising for Eric Swalwell's congressional election bid.

2014: Chairman of O'Malley's PAC's Young Professionals Leadership Circle

In 2014, Eric Swalwell announced he would serve as chairman of Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's O' Say Can You See PAC's Young Professionals Leadership Circle.

January 3, 2015: Sworn into Second Term

On January 3, 2015, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his second term.

April 2015: Founded Future Forum

In April 2015, Eric Swalwell founded Future Forum, a group of young House Democrats focused on the concerns of millennials.

May 2015: Launched Sharing Economy Caucus

In May 2015, Eric Swalwell and Representative Darrell Issa launched the bipartisan Sharing Economy Caucus.

July 2015: Endorsed O'Malley for President

In July 2015, Eric Swalwell endorsed Martin O'Malley for president.

2015: Ended Ties with Fang

In 2015, Eric Swalwell ended ties with Fang after U.S. intelligence briefed him and top members of Congress on concerns that Chinese agents were attempting to infiltrate Congress. Swalwell was not accused of any impropriety, and officials did not believe that Fang had obtained classified information.

February 2016: Elevated to Vice-Chair of Democratic Steering and Policy Committee

In February 2016, Nancy Pelosi elevated Eric Swalwell to vice-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

April 2016: Dubbed 'the Snapchat king of Congress'

In April 2016, The Hill dubbed Eric Swalwell "the Snapchat king of Congress" due to his innovative use of social media.

June 2016: Used Facebook Live and Periscope to Broadcast Gun-Violence Sit-In

In June 2016, Eric Swalwell used Facebook Live and Periscope to broadcast House Democrats' gun-violence sit-in. Afterwards, he called for new policies regarding cameras on the House floor.

October 2016: Marriage to Brittany Ann Watts

In October 2016, Eric Swalwell married his second wife, Brittany Ann Watts, a sales director at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay.

December 2016: Introduced Protecting Our Democracy Act

In December 2016, Eric Swalwell and Representative Elijah Cummings introduced the Protecting Our Democracy Act.

December 2016: Named Co-Chair of House Democratic Steering Committee

In December 2016, Eric Swalwell was named the co-chair of House Democratic Steering Committee.

2016: Support for O'Malley

Eric Swalwell made it clear that his support for Martin O'Malley was about the 2014 midterm elections and not an endorsement of a potential presidential bid by O'Malley in 2016.

January 3, 2017: Sworn into Third Term

On January 3, 2017, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his third term.

January 2017: Reintroduced Protecting Our Democracy Act

In January 2017, Eric Swalwell and Representative Elijah Cummings reintroduced the Protecting Our Democracy Act for the 115th Congress.

2017: Co-sponsored Israel Anti-Boycott Act

In 2017, Eric Swalwell co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, a House bill designed to allow U.S. states to enact laws requiring contractors to sign pledges promising not to boycott any goods from Israel and Israeli-occupied territories.

2017: Birth of Son

In 2017, Eric Swalwell's son was born.

2017: Co-Chaired House Democratic Steering Committee

Since 2017, Eric Swalwell has co-chaired the House Democratic Steering Committee.

2018: Birth of Daughter

In 2018, Eric Swalwell's daughter was born.

2018: Justice Department Seized Personal Data

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice under the Trump administration seized Eric Swalwell's personal data.

January 3, 2019: Sworn into Fourth Term

On January 3, 2019, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his fourth term.

April 8, 2019: Announced Candidacy for President

On April 8, 2019, Eric Swalwell announced his candidacy for president on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and released a campaign ad on social media. Gun control would be the primary focus of his campaign.

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April 14, 2019: Formal Announcement at Dublin High School

On April 14, 2019, Eric Swalwell made a formal announcement of his presidential candidacy at Dublin High School.

July 8, 2019: Withdrew from Presidential Race

On July 8, 2019, Eric Swalwell withdrew from the presidential race. His polling average never rose above 1%, and he was at risk of not qualifying for the second set of debates.

July 2019: Dropped Out of Presidential Race and Endorsed Biden

In July 2019, Eric Swalwell dropped out of the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and endorsed Joe Biden.

2019: Criticized Trump's Trade War and Turkish Offensive

In 2019, Eric Swalwell criticized Trump's trade war against China. He condemned the 2019 Turkish offensive into northeastern Syria and called for possibly suspending Turkey's membership in NATO.

2019: Gun Control as Signature Issue

In 2019, Eric Swalwell made gun control a signature issue of his presidential campaign, including a ban with a mandatory buyback of all firearms deemed assault weapons, and universal background checks.

December 2020: Named in Axios Story About Suspected Chinese Spy

In December 2020, Eric Swalwell was named in an Axios story about suspected Chinese spy Fang Fang, also known as Christine Fang.

2020: Presidential Primaries

Eric Swalwell was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.

2020: Purchased Home in Washington, D.C.

In 2020, Eric Swalwell purchased a home for $1.2 million in Eckington, Washington, D.C.

2020: Won the 2020 Election

In 2020, Eric Swalwell won the election against Republican challenger Alison Hayden.

March 5, 2021: Filed Civil Lawsuit Against Trump and Allies

On March 5, 2021, Eric Swalwell filed a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Mo Brooks, and Rudy Giuliani for their alleged role in inciting the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

March 2021: Motion to Remove Swalwell from House Intelligence Committee

In March 2021, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy moved to remove Eric Swalwell from his seat on the House Intelligence Committee; his motion was tabled on a party-line vote.

April 2021: House Ethics Committee Investigation Opened

In April 2021, the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Eric Swalwell.

2021: Birth of Third Child

In 2021, Eric Swalwell's third child was born.

March 2022: Proposed Measures Against Russia

In March 2022, Eric Swalwell proposed closing the Russian embassy in the United States and expelling all Russian students in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He received some backlash for his remarks.

2022: Voted Against Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act

In 2022, Eric Swalwell was one of 16 Democrats to vote against the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package.

2022: Redistricted to CA-14

In early 2022, Eric Swalwell was redistricted to CA-14 and defeated Republican Alison Hayden.

January 3, 2023: Sworn into Sixth Term

On January 3, 2023, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his sixth term.

January 2023: Expelled from House Intelligence Committee

In January 2023, Speaker Kevin McCarthy expelled Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee.

January 2023: Removal from Intelligence Committee

In January 2023, after Kevin McCarthy became Speaker, he announced that he would remove Eric Swalwell from the Intelligence committee. Swalwell characterized McCarthy's action as "purely vengeance". Swalwell's membership expired in January 2023.

May 2023: Investigation Closed

In May 2023, the House Ethics Committee informed Eric Swalwell that the investigation had been closed with no further action, while also cautioning about foreign governments attempting to secure improper influence.

2023: Represents California's 14th Congressional District

In 2023, Eric Swalwell started serving as the U.S. representative from California's 14th congressional district.

January 3, 2025: Sworn into Seventh Term

On January 3, 2025, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his seventh term.

November 20, 2025: Announced Gubernatorial Campaign

On November 20, 2025, Eric Swalwell announced his gubernatorial campaign to succeed Gavin Newsom, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

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2025: Advocated for ICE Mask Ban

In 2025, Eric Swalwell responded to masked ICE agents conducting violent enforcement actions by advocating for legislation that would tie ICE's funding to a ban on agents wearing masks in the course of their duties, stating that ICE would be more credible without masks.