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 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, his district includes eastern Alameda County and part of central Contra Costa County. Swalwell has been involved in national politics, focusing on issues related to technology, cybersecurity, and government oversight. He serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Judiciary Committee.
1945: George P. Miller Held the Seat
In 1945, George P. Miller held the congressional seat now held by Eric Swalwell.
1972: Stark Unseats Miller
In 1972, Pete Stark unseated George P. Miller in the Democratic primary.
1973: End of Miller's Term
In 1973, George P. Miller's term ended after holding the congressional seat since 1945.
November 16, 1980: Eric Swalwell Born
On November 16, 1980, Eric Michael Swalwell was born. He is an American lawyer and politician.
1999: Attends Campbell University
In 1999, Eric Swalwell began attending Campbell University on a soccer scholarship.
1999: Graduates from Dublin High School
In 1999, Eric Swalwell graduated from Dublin High School.
2001: Interns for Ellen Tauscher
In 2001, Eric Swalwell began working as an unpaid intern for U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher.
2001: Ends Soccer Scholarship
In 2001, Eric Swalwell's soccer scholarship ended after he broke both thumbs.
2002: Continues Internship
In 2002, Eric Swalwell continued his internship for U.S. Representative Ellen Tauscher, focusing on legislative research and constituent outreach.
2003: Graduates from University of Maryland
In 2003, Eric Swalwell received a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park.
2006: Graduates from University of Maryland Law School
In 2006, Eric Swalwell received a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
2006: Joins Dublin Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission
In 2006, Eric Swalwell served on the Dublin Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission.
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: Files to Run for Congress
In September 2011, Eric Swalwell filed to run for Congress in California's 15th district.
2012: Endorsed by San Francisco Chronicle
During the 2012 election cycle, the San Francisco Chronicle endorsed Eric Swalwell for Congress.
2012: Elected to U.S. House of Representatives
In 2012, Eric Swalwell was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Pete Stark.
2012: Advocacy for Policy Changes
In 2012, Swalwell advocated for the repeal of the No Child Left Behind Act, increasing education funding, decreasing defense funding, creating renewable energy jobs, and raising the Social Security payroll tax cap.
2012: Fang Cultivates Contacts with California Politicians
Since at least 2012, Fang Fang cultivated contacts with California politicians.
March 2013: Opposition to TSA Knife Policy
In March 2013, Swalwell led the writing of an open letter opposing a TSA policy allowing passengers to bring knives onto airplanes. He also supports same-sex marriage and is pro-choice.
June 18, 2013: Posts Video of Vote on Vine
On June 18, 2013, Eric Swalwell posted a video of his vote against a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks on Vine, leading to controversy.
December 12, 2013: Introduces Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act
On December 12, 2013, Eric Swalwell introduced the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act in the House.
2013: Represents California's 15th District
In 2013, Eric Swalwell began serving as the U.S. representative from California's 15th congressional district until 2023.
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: Tax Deduction Deadline
On April 15, 2014, the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act allows Americans to deduct donations made by this date.
2014: Chairs 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.
2014: Fang Participates in Fundraising for Swalwell
In 2014, Fang Fang participated in fundraising for Eric Swalwell's congressional election bid.
January 3, 2015: Sworn into Second Term
On January 3, 2015, Eric Swalwell was sworn into his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
April 2015: Founds Future Forum
In April 2015, Eric Swalwell founded Future Forum, a group of young House Democrats focused on the concerns of millennials.
May 2015: Launches Sharing Economy Caucus
In May 2015, Eric Swalwell and Representative Darrell Issa launched the bipartisan Sharing Economy Caucus.
July 2015: Endorses Martin O'Malley for President
In July 2015, Eric Swalwell endorsed Martin O'Malley for president.
2015: Swalwell Ends Ties with Fang
In 2015, Eric Swalwell ended ties with Fang Fang after U.S. intelligence briefed him on concerns.
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 "Snapchat King of Congress"
In April 2016, The Hill dubbed Eric Swalwell "the Snapchat king of Congress" for his innovative use of social media.
June 2016: Broadcasts Gun-Violence Sit-In
In June 2016, Eric Swalwell used Facebook Live and Periscope to broadcast House Democrats' gun-violence sit-in.
October 2016: Marriage to Brittany Ann Watts
In October 2016, Swalwell married his second wife, Brittany Ann Watts.
December 2016: Introduces 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 the House Democratic Steering Committee.
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: Reintroduces Protecting Our Democracy Act
In January 2017, Eric Swalwell reintroduced the Protecting Our Democracy Act for the 115th Congress.
2017: Co-Chairs House Democratic Steering Committee
In 2017, Eric Swalwell began co-chairing the House Democratic Steering Committee.
2017: Birth of Son
In 2017, Swalwell and his wife Brittany Ann Watts had their first child, a son.
2017: Co-sponsorship of Israel Anti-Boycott Act
In 2017, 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 Daughter
In 2018, Swalwell and his wife Brittany Ann Watts had their second child, a daughter.
2018: Personal Data Seized by DOJ
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: Presidential Candidacy Announcement on The Late Show
On April 8, 2019, Swalwell announced his candidacy for president on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and released a campaign ad on his social media pages.
April 14, 2019: Formal Campaign Announcement at Dublin High School
On April 14, 2019, Swalwell made a formal announcement of his presidential campaign at Dublin High School, emphasizing gun control as a primary focus.
July 8, 2019: Withdrawal from Presidential Race
On July 8, 2019, 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: Drops Out of Presidential Race
In July 2019, Eric Swalwell dropped out of the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and endorsed Joe Biden.
December 2020: FBI Official States Swalwell is Cooperative
Also in December 2020, the San Francisco Chronicle quoted an unnamed FBI official as saying that Eric Swalwell was completely cooperative and under no suspicion of wrongdoing.
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 or Christine Fang.
December 2020: Axios Report on Fang and Swalwell
In December 2020, an Axios story reported that Fang had sexual relations with two Midwestern mayors but not with Swalwell. Despite this, allegations persisted that Swalwell was a national security threat due to his association with Fang.
2020: Presidential Primary Candidate
In 2020, Eric Swalwell was a candidate in the Democratic Party presidential primaries.
2020: Wins 2020 Election
In 2020, Eric Swalwell won the election against Republican challenger Alison Hayden.
2020: Purchase of Home in Washington, D.C.
In 2020, Swalwell purchased a home for $1.2 million in Eckington, Washington, D.C.
March 5, 2021: Files Lawsuit Against Trump and Others
On March 5, 2021, Eric Swalwell filed a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Representative Mo Brooks, and Rudy Giuliani.
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, which was tabled.
April 2021: House Ethics Committee Investigation Opened
In April 2021, the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Swalwell.
October 2021: Voted in Line with Biden's Position
As of October 2021, Eric Swalwell had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time.
2021: Birth of Third Child
In 2021, Swalwell and his wife Brittany Ann Watts had their third child.
2022: Vote Against Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act
In 2022, Swalwell was one of 16 Democrats to vote against the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package designed to crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.
January 2023: Expelled from House Intelligence Committee
In January 2023, Speaker Kevin McCarthy expelled Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee.
January 2023: McCarthy Removes Swalwell from Intelligence Committee
In January 2023, after becoming Speaker, McCarthy removed Swalwell from the Intelligence Committee. McCarthy stated that after reviewing an FBI briefing, he wouldn't have Swalwell on any committee. Swalwell's membership expired in January 2023 due to term limits.
May 2023: House Ethics Committee Closes Investigation
In May 2023, the House Ethics Committee informed Swalwell that the investigation opened in April 2021 had been closed with no further action.
2023: Represents California's 14th District
In 2023, Eric Swalwell started serving as the U.S. representative from California's 14th congressional district.
