Reps. Swalwell, Gonzales Formally Resign House Seats Amid Separate Misconduct Allegations

The resignations of Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) bring the House to a 217–213 Republican majority.

(Left) Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 1, 2023. (Right) Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) speaks at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Sept. 8, 2025. Alex Wong, Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) have each formally tendered their resignations from Congress, effective immediately, as both men face accusations of sexual and marital misconduct.

Swalwell’s resignation comes after facing allegations of sexual assault by multiple women, including former staffers. He had announced on April 13 his intention to leave Congress. Gonzales, facing allegations of an extramarital affair, announced on the same day that he would do the same.

On April 14, the House Press Gallery confirmed that both resignations had been received.

“In light of the resignations of [Swalwell] and [Gonzales], the whole number of the House is 431 (217 Republicans, 213 Democrats, 1 Independent, 4 vacancies),” the House Press Gallery wrote in a post on X.

For House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), the resignations won’t have much impact on Republicans’ political calculus: Johnson can still spare only a single defection on party-line votes, a spot often claimed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).

Swalwell

The allegations against Swalwell have garnered greater national attention, as the California Democrat was previously the frontrunner among Democrats in the California gubernatorial election, which does not hold partisan primaries but instead allows the two top vote-getters in the primary to advance to the general election in November.

Scheduled for June 2, this first round is just around six weeks away.

On April 10, the San Francisco Chronicle reported allegations from an unnamed former employee who said that Swalwell had sexually assaulted her on two occasions, including while she was employed by him, when she was heavily intoxicated. Swalwell has denied the allegations. The Epoch Times has not verified the allegations against Swalwell.

The congressman faced pressure from fellow Democrats to withdraw from the California gubernatorial race. He did so on April 12, acceding to pressure from Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a kingmaker in California politics, to leave the race.

The next day, Swalwell announced that he would also resign his seat in Congress this week as he faced the prospect of a probe by the House Ethics Committee.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell wrote in a post on X. “I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

Gonzales

Gonzales also announced on April 13 that he would file his resignation Tuesday after a second member of his staff alleged that she had received sexually explicit texts from Gonzales while working for him.

The new allegations last week against Gonzales prompted a bipartisan group of lawmakers to call for him to be expelled.

Text messages first reported by the San Antonio Express-News allegedly show Gonzales repeatedly asking for sex and nude photos. The former campaign staffer told NBC News she was coming forward now because she believed Gonzales should be held accountable for his past actions.

An investigation into allegations against Gonzales was launched last month by the House Ethics Committee.

Gonzales had previously been positioned as a candidate in the Republican House primary election for his district. After admitting to an affair with a former staffer who subsequently took her own life, Gonzales withdrew from the race and announced on March 5 that he would not seek reelection.

Gonzales announced his intention to retire this week, on the same day that Swalwell did.

“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all,“ Gonzales posted on X on April 13. ”When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.”

Jill McLaughlin contributed to this report.