Reps. Swalwell and Gonzales Resign From Congress on Same Day, Facing Imminent Expulsion Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas both resigned from Congress on Tuesday, April 14, departing the House under the shadow of sexual misconduct allegations and facing imminent expulsion votes — a rare and politically jarring double exit that leaves both parties reshaping their congressional math less than seven months before the 2026 midterms.

Swalwell, 43, who has represented California's 14th Congressional District since 2013 and previously served on the House Intelligence Committee, announced his resignation after a fifth woman came forward to accuse him of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2018. Earlier accusations had already placed him at the center of a House Ethics Committee investigation that had been moving toward an expulsion recommendation. Rather than face the public proceeding, Swalwell submitted his resignation letter Tuesday morning.

"No member of Congress should face what I have alleged against me and continue to serve," Swalwell said in a brief statement released to the press. He did not directly address the specific accusations but said he was resigning "to protect my family and spare the institution further damage." Legal representatives for several of his accusers said the resignation did not preclude civil or criminal proceedings.

Gonzales, who has represented Texas's 23rd Congressional District since 2021, departed under similar circumstances, facing misconduct allegations that had also advanced to a formal Ethics Committee review. His resignation, submitted within hours of Swalwell's, was accompanied by no formal statement. Sources close to the congressman said he had privately concluded that fighting the expulsion process would be both futile and damaging to his family.

The simultaneous departures from opposite sides of the aisle are nearly unprecedented in modern congressional history, and they shift the House's partisan balance at a moment when the Republican majority is already razor-thin. Following Swalwell's exit, Republicans hold 216 seats to Democrats' 213 — a majority of just three, and one that becomes increasingly precarious with each vacancy. Democrats have already indicated they will contest Swalwell's seat aggressively. California has scheduled a special election for August 18 to fill it, and the race is expected to be among the most closely watched contests of the year.

The political fallout extends beyond the immediate seat math. Swalwell's departure reshuffles the California Democratic political landscape at a particularly sensitive moment. Governor Gavin Newsom, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has come under pressure from party leaders to publicly weigh in on managing the electoral fallout and ensuring the seat stays Democratic. Newsom's political team has been huddling with state party officials to identify a viable candidate for the August special election.

For Republicans, Gonzales's exit creates its own complications. His Texas district — which stretches along the US-Mexico border through some of the most contested terrain in the country — is competitive enough that Democrats are already fielding potential candidates. A special election there would force the national party to spend resources it had hoped to deploy elsewhere in the 2026 midterm cycle.

The dual resignations arrive against a backdrop of mounting public scrutiny of Congressional ethics enforcement. Critics have long argued that the House Ethics Committee moves too slowly and too quietly on misconduct allegations, allowing members to retain their seats and salaries for extended periods while investigations drag on. Tuesday's events prompted several members from both parties to call for reforms to the process.

"Two members gone in a single day — one from each party — because the system failed to move quickly enough to hold them accountable," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). "That's not a coincidence. That's an indictment of how slowly this institution responds to serious misconduct."