California Democrats are trying to quickly replace Representative Eric Swalwell in an upcoming special election.
But the effort could be undermined by one of his own, who is threatening to leave the seat vacant until after the August holidays.
The seat that Swalwell resigned from after being accusedWas","Add":{"Target": :"New","Property":(),"url": :"https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/eric-swalwell-resign-from-congress-00869957","_Identification": :"0000019d-ad98-d7d3-a5bf-afd8ad600000","_Type": :"33ac701a-72c1-316a-a3a5-13918cf384df"},"_Identification": :"0000019d-ad98-d7d3-a5bf-afd8ad600001","_Type": :"02ec1f82-5e56-3b8c-af6e-6fc7c8772266"}”>Resigned after being accused If a candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote in a special primary election in June, sexual assault and harassment suits by multiple women could immediately be filed.
The five Democratic candidates running in the regularly scheduled primaries to replace Swalwell for a full term have pledged not to run in the June 16 special election. Their hope is that rallying around a single candidate will ensure that person will win an outright majority in the primary and can be sworn in quickly.
But one Democratic contender, state Senator Aisha Wahab, has not signed it, according to two people familiar with the document and permitted anonymity to describe it. Having two or more Democrats on the ballot in a reliably blue district would guarantee the need for a run-off in mid-August, and the winner would not be seated until Congress returned from its August recess.
House Democrats expect many close votes in June and July, and they will need every vote to block Republican legislation. That concern prompted Democrats in Washington and the region to encourage candidates to drop themselves out of the special election race and instead endorse former state Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski for the duration of Swalwell’s current term.
“Most of us have either filed to run in the special election or were preparing to run. But we recognize the risk that in this crowded field, no candidate is likely to win by 50% + 1. This will leave the seat vacant at a critical time when Democrats can prevent Trump’s agenda from advancing in the House of Representatives. And that is a risk our country cannot afford,” the candidates distributed and reads a written version of the pledge obtained by POLITICO.
Wahab, who is also running for a full term, did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment. Institutional players in the California Democratic Party, Wieckowski and members of the state’s congressional delegation — including Representatives Robert Garcia, Kevin Mullin and Latifah Simon — have endorsed him, but the vote is still expected to be dwarfed by the large number of Democratic contenders.
Wahab’s decision could make or break this effort to consolidate the region. The pledge states that if not all candidates agree to sign, “many people will run in a special election.”
“But there is too much at stake for our country and none of us can put our personal hopes and ambitions ahead of this important effort to fill this seat in the House with an experienced and reliable Democratic vote,” the statement said.
Wahab told the San Francisco Chronicle He had not seen the statement.
Efforts to eliminate the field were also made for future hopefuls who are not running in the regular election, such as former State Senator Steve Glazer. Glazer pulled papers Friday to run in the special election, but told POLITICO on Monday he would not file them because members of the congressional delegation had contacted him encouraging him not to run.
Glazer said, “The caucus has set very important goals for itself to resolve the election at the primary level and I completely agree with those goals.” “I don’t want my candidacy to come in the way.”
Glazer said he would step down to Wieckowski, his former colleague in the legislature.
Glazer said, “Bob is indicating that he is willing to move forward and serve in that role and I support that.”
