What happened

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas formally submitted their resignations from Congress on 15 April. Both faced bipartisan calls for expulsion over separate sexual misconduct allegations.

Swalwell, who represented California’s 14th Congressional District, stepped down after a former staffer accused him of sexual assault and three other women alleged he sent unsolicited explicit messages. He denied all allegations.

Why it matters

The simultaneous departures of one Democrat and one Republican leave the partisan balance largely unchanged at 216 Republicans to 213 Democrats, but the timing of special elections could temporarily shift the margin in either direction.

The Gonzales case

Gonzales, who represented Texas’s sprawling 23rd Congressional District, admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later took her own life. He announced his resignation about an hour after Swalwell.

In his statement, Gonzales said he was stepping down “to protect my family from further pain.”

The expulsion threat

Both members resigned ahead of expected House votes on expulsion. Swalwell wrote that “expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” but said he would not allow the distraction to continue.

House leadership had signalled it would bring expulsion resolutions to the floor within days if neither member resigned voluntarily.

Special election timelines

California Governor Gavin Newsom has called a special election for 18 August to fill Swalwell’s seat. The district, covering parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, is safely Democratic.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has not yet announced plans for Gonzales’s seat. Texas election law may make it difficult to schedule a special election before November, meaning the 23rd District could remain vacant for months.

What happens next

The Republican nominee for the Texas seat is Brandon Herrera, a gun rights activist who challenged Gonzales in two successive primaries. Democrat Katy Padilla Stout, a former public school teacher and child welfare attorney, is the Democratic nominee. If Abbott does not call an emergency special election, voters will decide in November.