California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday issued a proclamation setting a special election to fill the Congressional seat vacated by embattled former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell.  

Swalwell, D-Castro Valley, who had represented the 14th district since 2013, announced his resignation Monday and had also suspended his gubernatorial campaign the day before following multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. Two women have also accused the former congressman of rape.  

The 14th district is in Alameda County and includes the cities of Hayward, Pleasanton, Livermore, Union City, Castro Valley, and parts of Dublin and Fremont. 

Newsom set the special election to fill the seat for Aug. 18, 2026. Swalwell’s term would have run through January 2027.  

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.