History of Eric Swalwell in Timeline
Eric Swalwell is an American lawyer and Democratic politician currently serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 14th congressional district since 2023. He previously represented the 15th district from 2013 to 2023. His district encompasses most of eastern Alameda County and a portion of central Contra Costa County in California.
1945: George P. Miller held the seat
Since 1945, George P. Miller held the seat for the district.
1972: Stark Unseated Miller
In 1972, Stark unseated Miller in the Democratic primary.
1973: George P. Miller left the seat
In 1973, George P. Miller left the seat for the district.
November 16, 1980: Eric Swalwell's Birth
On November 16, 1980, Eric Michael Swalwell was born.
1999: Attendance at Campbell University
In 1999, Eric Swalwell attended Campbell University in North Carolina and played soccer on a 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 worked as an unpaid intern for U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher, focusing on legislative research and constituent outreach.
2001: End of Soccer Scholarship
In 2001, Eric Swalwell's soccer scholarship ended after he broke both of his thumbs.
2002: Internship for Ellen Tauscher
In 2002, Eric Swalwell worked as an unpaid intern for U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher, focusing on legislative research and constituent outreach.
2003: Bachelor of Arts from University of Maryland
In 2003, Eric Swalwell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park.
2006: Juris Doctor from University of Maryland
In 2006, Eric Swalwell received a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
2006: Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County
In 2006, Eric Swalwell returned to California after graduating from law school and worked as a deputy district attorney in Alameda County.
2008: Dublin Planning Commission
In 2008, Eric Swalwell served on the Dublin Planning Commission.
2010: Election to Dublin City Council
In 2010, Eric Swalwell was elected to the Dublin City Council.
September 2011: Filing 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: Swalwell Advocated for Education Funding 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 supported creating renewable energy jobs with federal stimulus money and raising the cap on the Social Security payroll tax.
2012: Election to U.S. House of Representatives
In 2012, Eric Swalwell was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Pete Stark.
2012: General Election and Endorsements
In 2012, during the election cycle, the San Francisco Chronicle endorsed Eric Swalwell. The Stark campaign accused Swalwell of being a Tea Party candidate, but the accusation was denied and dismissed by the San Jose Mercury News, which also endorsed Swalwell.
March 2013: Swalwell Opposes TSA Knife Policy
In March 2013, Eric Swalwell led the writing of an open letter to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) opposing a new policy allowing passengers to bring knives onto airplanes.
June 18, 2013: Video Recording on Vine
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 spurred controversy.
December 12, 2013: Introduction of Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act
On December 12, 2013, Eric Swalwell introduced the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act into the House to allow Americans to deduct charitable donations for Typhoon Haiyan relief from their 2013 taxes.
2013: Swalwell Representing CA's 15th District
In 2013, Eric Swalwell began serving as the U.S. Representative for 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, a bill introduced by Eric Swalwell.
April 15, 2014: Deadline for Charitable Donations
On April 15, 2014, Americans had to make charitable donations before this date to be able to deduct donations made between January 1 and April 15, 2014 for the relief of victims in the Republic of the Philippines of Typhoon Haiyan.
2014: Chairmanship of O'Malley's PAC Leadership Circle
In 2014, Eric Swalwell announced that 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: Swearing into Second Term
On January 3, 2015, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
April 2015: Founding of Future Forum
In April 2015, Eric Swalwell founded Future Forum, a group of young House Democrats focused on the concerns of millennials.
May 2015: Launch of Sharing Economy Caucus
In May 2015, Eric Swalwell and Representative Darrell Issa launched the bipartisan Sharing Economy Caucus to explore how the sharing economy can benefit more Americans.
July 2015: Endorsement of Martin O'Malley for President
In July 2015, Eric Swalwell endorsed Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley for president.
February 2016: Elevation 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: 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: Use of Facebook Live and Periscope
In June 2016, Eric Swalwell used Facebook Live and Periscope to broadcast House Democrats' gun-violence sit-in.
October 2016: Swalwell's Marriage to Brittany Ann Watts
In October 2016, Eric Swalwell married his second wife, Brittany Ann Watts, who is a sales director at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay.
December 2016: Introduction of Protecting Our Democracy Act
In December 2016, Eric Swalwell and Representative Elijah Cummings introduced the Protecting Our Democracy Act to investigate foreign interference in the 2016 election.
December 2016: Co-chair of House Democratic Steering Committee
In December 2016, Eric Swalwell was named the co-chair of House Democratic Steering Committee.
2016: Potential presidential bid by O'Malley
Although he made clear that his support was about the 2014 midterm elections and not an endorsement of a potential presidential bid by O'Malley in 2016, Swalwell endorsed O'Malley for president in July 2015.
January 3, 2017: Sworn into Third Term
On January 3, 2017, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
January 2017: Reintroduction of Protecting Our Democracy Act
In January 2017, Eric Swalwell and Representative Elijah Cummings reintroduced the Protecting Our Democracy Act, though it failed to gain bipartisan support.
2017: Birth of Swalwell's Son
In 2017, Eric Swalwell and Brittany Ann Watts had a son.
2017: Co-Chair of House Democratic Steering Committee
In 2017, Eric Swalwell became the co-chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee.
2017: Swalwell Co-Sponsors 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.
2018: Birth of Swalwell's Daughter
In 2018, Eric Swalwell and Brittany Ann Watts had a daughter.
2018: Seizure of 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 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
April 8, 2019: Swalwell Announces Presidential Candidacy
On April 8, 2019, Eric Swalwell announced his candidacy for president on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also released a campaign ad on his social media pages, highlighting gun control as a primary focus.
April 14, 2019: Formal Presidential Campaign Announcement
On April 14, 2019, Eric Swalwell made a formal announcement of his presidential campaign at Dublin High School.
July 8, 2019: Swalwell Withdraws from Presidential Race
On July 8, 2019, Eric Swalwell withdrew from the presidential race due to low polling averages and the risk of not qualifying for the second set of debates.
July 2019: Endorsement of Joe Biden
In July 2019, Eric Swalwell dropped out of the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and endorsed Joe Biden.
December 2020: Swalwell Named in Axios Story About Suspected Chinese Spy
In December 2020, Eric Swalwell was mentioned in an Axios story regarding a suspected Chinese spy, Fang Fang (Christine Fang), who had been cultivating relationships with California politicians since at least 2012. The report stated Fang participated in fundraising for Swalwell's 2014 congressional campaign, met him at events, and helped place an intern in his office. Swalwell ended ties with Fang in 2015 after being briefed by U.S. intelligence.
December 2020: Axios Story on Fang Fang
In December 2020, an Axios story reported that Fang Fang had sexual relations with two Midwestern mayors but not Swalwell, though allegations persisted about him being a national security threat. Swalwell received death and rape threats against him and his family following the report.
December 2020: FBI Official states Swalwell was cooperative in investigation
In December 2020, an unnamed FBI official, in a San Francisco Chronicle article, stated that Swalwell was completely cooperative and not suspected of any wrongdoing. Swalwell suggested the Trump administration may have leaked information to the press because he was a vocal critic of Trump.
2020: Swalwell Purchases Home in Washington, D.C.
In 2020, Eric Swalwell purchased a home for $1.2 million in Eckington, Washington, D.C.
2020: Presidential Primaries
In 2020, Eric Swalwell was a candidate in the Democratic Party presidential primaries.
2020: Swalwell wins 2020 election
In 2020, Eric Swalwell won the election against Republican challenger Alison Hayden, 70.9% to 29.1%.
March 5, 2021: Civil Lawsuit Filed
On March 5, 2021, Eric Swalwell filed a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Representative Mo Brooks, and Rudy Giuliani, seeking damages 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 Swalwell from his seat on the House Intelligence Committee, but the motion was tabled on a party-line vote.
April 2021: House Ethics Committee Opens Investigation into Swalwell
In April 2021, the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Swalwell.
October 2021: Voting Alignment with Joe Biden
As of October 2021, Eric Swalwell had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time.
2021: Birth of Swalwell's Third Child
In 2021, Eric Swalwell and Brittany Ann Watts welcomed their third child.
March 2022: Swalwell Proposes Measures Against Russia on CNN
In March 2022, Eric Swalwell proposed measures on CNN in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including closing the Russian embassy in the United States and expelling all Russian students. He received backlash but defended his stance.
2022: Swalwell Votes Against Antitrust Package
In 2022, Eric Swalwell was one of 16 Democrats who voted against the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package intended to crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.
2022: Redistricting to CA-14
In early 2022, Eric Swalwell was redistricted to CA-14.
January 2023: Expulsion from House Intelligence Committee
In January 2023, Speaker Kevin McCarthy expelled Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff from the House Intelligence Committee.
January 2023: McCarthy Removes Swalwell from Intelligence Committee
In January 2023, after McCarthy became Speaker, he removed Swalwell from the Intelligence committee, stating he wouldn't have Swalwell on any committee if he had the FBI briefing. Swalwell called McCarthy's action "purely vengeance".
May 2023: House Ethics Committee Closed Investigation Into Swalwell
In May 2023, the House Ethics Committee informed Swalwell that the investigation had been closed with no further action, while also cautioning members to be aware of potential foreign influence through gifts and interactions.
2023: Swalwell Representing CA's 14th District
In 2023, Eric Swalwell began serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 14th congressional district.
2023: Sworn into Sixth Term
In 2023, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his sixth term.
January 3, 2025: Swearing into Seventh Term
On January 3, 2025, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his seventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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