Eric Swalwell is a United States Congressman serving in the House of Representatives. He represents the 15th Congressional District of California, an area that encompasses Alameda County as well as parts of Contra Costa County in the Golden States. Swalwell briefly entered the 2020 presidential race on the Democratic ticket; he dropped out of the race a short time later. Swalwell has also seen his share of controversy. He allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with Christine Fang, thought to be a Chinese spy. However, Swalwell was not the only politician Fang targeted; supposedly she attempted to “form a relationship” with Ro Khanna. Swalwell has said that he did not share sensitive information with Fang, and the allegations have lost interest with the public. Swalwell was also one of the more vocal members of Congress desiring to impeach former President Trump.
| Celebrated Name: | Eric Swalwell |
| Real Name/Full Name: | Eric Michael Swalwell |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age: | 41 |
| Birthdate: | November 16, 1980 |
| Birthplace: | Sac City, IA |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 5 ft. 9 in. |
| Weight: | 194 lb. |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Wife/Spouse | Married Brittany Watts in 2016; Swalwell was previously married but no information on his first spouse is public. |
| Children/Kids: | three children |
| Dating/Girlfriend Name: | N/A |
| Is Eric Swalwell Gay? | No |
| Highest Political Office: | United States House of Representatives, California’s 15th District |
| Profession: | Politician |
| Colleges Attended: | Campbell University (North Carolina), University of Maryland |
| Degrees: | Bachelor’s Degree (Government and Politics); Juris Doctor |
| Salary: | $174,000 |
| Net Worth in 2021: | $2 million |
Biography: Early Life and Family
Eric Michael Swalwell was born in Sac City, Iowa on November 16, 1980. His parents are Eric and Vicky Swalwell, who are said to be registered Republicans. Eric Nelson Swalwell was a police chief in nearby Algona, Iowa. Mrs. Swalwell’s occupation is unknown.
Before Eric was a teenager, his father moved the family to Dublin, California. Eric Michael would graduate from Dublin High School in 1999.
When Eric Swalwell was a young child, he fought a diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy. The paralysis he dealt with required him to wear an eyepatch. However, the physical effects of Bell’s Palsy would eventually correct itself.
Upon graduation from high school, he would be awarded a scholarship to Campbell University, a school in North Carolina. Swalwell’s scholarship involved his playing soccer. He played for two years before he would accidentally break both his thumbs. This ended his playing for Campbell as well as forfeited his scholarship.
Eric Swalwell would then transfer to the university of Maryland in College Park. He would earn his bachelor’s degree then work toward a Juris Doctor. Swalwell earned his bachelor’s degree in Government and Politics in 2003, and he would obtain his Juris Doctor at the UM School of Law in 2006.
Swalwell was working on his political career even then. He was the Vice President for Campus Affairs, a position within the Student Government Association at the University of Maryland. He was also a member of the University Senate (which included the Students, Faculty, and Staff of the University of Maryland). He was a student liaison for the College Park City Council, and was a part of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
Many universities have formed a student liaison position for local city councils based on the University of Maryland’s program.
Personal Life
Swalwell is currently married to Brittany Watts Swalwell. Together, the pair have three children: Eric Nelson Swalwell and Kathryn Swalwell. A third child was born in 2021, but the name of this child has not been released to the public.
Brittany Watts Swalwell works in the hotel industry (the Ritz-Carlton) as a sales director.
Swalwell was married once before, but there is virtually nothing on the internet regarding this individual.
Age, Height, and Weight
Eric Swalwell is 41 years old. He is 5′ 9″ in height, and he weighs an estimated 194 lbs.
Net Worth
Swalwell is said to have a net worth of $2 million. Swalwell has been in politics almost all of his adult life. While sources say that “(Swalwell) also has various other sources of income,” these sources do not elaborate on other possible income for the California congressman.
However, one could count his home as an asset. Eric Swalwell and his wife Brittany purchased a home in Eckington (a suburb of Washington, D.C.) with a reported value of $1.2 million.
Career Outside of Politics
Swalwell has spent most of his adult career in politics. He did, however, spend a brief time working as a deputy district attorney for Alameda County, California. His legal background may interest readers researching public service, law, and political careers.
Career in Politics
Swalwell was an unpaid intern for a California Congresswoman by the name of Ellen Tauscher; this politician represented the 10th Congressional District of California. While working for Rep. Tauscher, Swalwell researched legislative procedure and outreach services for constituents.
Swalwell has attributed his service as an intern as his motivation for going into public service. The 9/11 attacks on American soil took place during this time, and Swalwell said this was pivotal in his decision.
Swalwell would determine to use his collegiate political position to assist people who were affected directly by the September 11 attacks. He helped to create a scholarship at the University of Maryland that would benefit students who had lost parent in the horrific attacks.
Swalwell was elected to the Dublin City Council in 2010. Prior to that, Swalwell served on the Dublin Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission. He would also be a part of the Dublin Planning Commission for two years.
By 2011, Swalwell had announced that he planned to run for a Congressional seat with the 15th District of California. His predecessor had been a twenty-term incumbent in the original 13th District of California. Redistricting made the district the 15th, but the incumbent was still in the race. Swalwell would defeat Stark – who campaigned in a very unorthodox manner – by a margin of 52 to 48 percent.
Swalwell would run for the same post once more in 2014 and 2016. In 2014, a Republican challenged Swalwell for the seat as well as a fellow Democrat. The Democratic opponent did not garner enough votes to proceed to the general election. Swalwell defeated the Republican challenger by a margin of 69.8 percent to 30.2 percent.
In 2016, Swalwell would also win his bid for re-election. He defeated Republican challenger Danny Reid Turner with a vote of 73.8 to 26.2 percent.
Swalwell also ran for re-election in both 2018 and 2020.
Part of Swalwell’s legacy involves his use of social media to connect with his constituents. He has a large social media following, and he uses Snapchat as well as Twitter chiefly to interact with the public. In fact, Swalwell is nicknamed “the Snapchat king of Congress.” In 2016, he utilized Facebook Live as well as the social media app Periscope to broadcast a sit in held by House Democrats regarding gun violence.
Swalwell would later take to the House floor to address how and when cameras are used on the Congressional floor.
Swalwell is unique in that he is only the third person to represent his district. The original Congressperson to hold the seat took it in 1945 and held it until 1973. His predecessor, Pete Stark – who refused to debate with Swalwell during the campaign among other odd behaviors – would unseat the original Congressman to represent that district. Stark was in the seat from 1973 until Swalwell won it in 2011.
The first year that Swalwell was in Congress, Swalwell was on the House Committee on Homeland Security as well as the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Swalwell was an outspoken critic against a decision to ban pocketknives at airport security; eventually the ban was put back in place.
Swalwell was a founder of the United Solution Caucus, a bipartisan group that included those in the House in their “freshman” year. These individuals would meet regularly to discuss policy and ways they could agree on a variety of legislative measures.
Swalwell came under criticism for his using his personal phone to film his voting “nay” on an abortion measure that would have banned the procedure after twenty weeks. House rules ban the use of mobile devices “that impair decorum” or “are used for still photography or recording audio and/or video.”
Swalwell said that he was not “impairing decorum,” and he claimed that many of the rules under which Congress operated were from the 18th century. Swalwell also said he believed “Congress (should) start to act more like regular Americans do.”
Swalwell was instrumental in promoting the Phillippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act, which would allow for tax deductions for donating money to the area after a brutal typhoon. Then-President Barack Obama would sign the legislation into law on March 25, 2014.
By the end of his “freshman” year in Congress, Swalwell had pushed three bills successfully through the House of Representatives. Two of them were signed into law. That is the most of any other incoming Congressperson up to that time.
