Democratic Congressman Eric Swallwell, who is running for California governor, has recently faced accusations that he doesn’t actually live in the state.
Tom Steyer, Swallwell’s billionaire Democratic rival, recently raised the issue through his attorney Ryan Hughes. Hughes wrote that Swallwell is a California resident “on paper only,” having purchased a home in Washington, D.C. Hughes further wrote that Swallwell is registered to vote in a Livermore, Califonia home that he doesn’t own.
Swallwell hit back by submitting a sworn declaration of being a California resident since 2006, and his attorneys filed a declaration that he has rented the home in Livermore since 2017. Whether he spends much time there, though, is in doubt.
Multiple neighbors, including one who lives two doors down from Swallwell’s stated residence, mentioned that they had never seen him after being shown a picture of him and having him identified by name. The congressman is known for regular campaign spending on luxury hotels when he visits his district, rather than staying at his claimed residence.
In 2012, Swallwell, then an Alameda County prosecutor, made a show of how loyal he would be to his district if he was elected to Congress. “I will make sure that I commute to Washington and always stay connected with my district,” Swallwell claimed then.
Steyer’s criticisms of Swallwell’s residency requirements come as the California gubernatorial election is still relatively unsettled. While Swallwell is considered to be a leading candidate, the state Democratic Party fears that the amount of Democrats in the race could result in a Republican winning the governorship. A recent poll has shown Republican candidate Steve Hilton leading, and California uses a primary system where the top two vote-getters face off in the general election, rather than a guaranteed Democratic vs. Republican race.
Whether California Democratic voters factor this issue into their decision remains to be seen. For now, it’s nice to see some blue-on-blue violence in a race that hasn’t truly heated up yet.
