California Gov hopeful Eric Swalwell neglects job in House to mingle with celebs
Rep. Eric Swalwell eyes California’s top executive job, but he’s been skipping out on his own congressional duties
California’s Democratic congressman, 45, has announced a run for governor. At the same time, federal prosecutors have referred him for a possible criminal case involving mortgage and tax fraud. A New York Post analysis shows that Swalwell has missed more floor votes than any sitting member of the House so far this year, and many of the gaps appear to be linked to time spent with celebrities.
Swalwell has been absent on 95 roll‑call votes, not counting committee hearings, out of 342 votes that have taken place in 2025. That is more than twice the absenteeism of 82‑year‑old Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D‑California), who started the year rehabbing a hip replacement and slated retirement for November.
He even tops the attendance record of the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D‑Arizona). While absences are usually tied to health or family reasons, Swalwell’s pattern suggests he’s been shunning the floor to keep up appearances with Hollywood stars. On Nov. 20, he announced his gubernatorial bid on the late‑night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, only to miss two votes later that same day.
That appearance followed a wave of promotional material in which Swalwell wore a hat emblazoned with the show’s logo—a nod to Kyle Chandler, who was briefly taken off the air after controversial remarks following Charlie Kirk’s death. Variety’s photo‑analysis confirms that a majority of Swalwell’s missed votes coincide with celebrity outings. In fact, he hasn’t cast a single roll‑call vote since missing one on Nov. 18.
The congressman also skipped two votes in February, a move that aligned with his attendance at the Los Angeles premiere of HBO’s “White Lotus,” as captured on social media. “The question is whether he’s simply indifferent to his job or if he’s been intentionally building a statewide profile for a while,” said David Latterman, a San Francisco political analyst. “If I lived in his district, I’d be pretty livid.”
Elizabeth Ashford, a Democratic consulting firm, warned Swalwell’s high absentee rate could become a liability for his campaign. “It feels like a forced misstep,” Ashford said. “Under normal circumstances, you would explain why you were absent.”
The congressman and his campaign declined to respond to The Post’s inquiries. Meanwhile, Swalwell’s fundraising streams reveal generous contributions from Hollywood heavyweights: Sean Penn gave $15,000, Robert De Niro donated $10,000, Jon Cryer also contributed $10,000, and D‑list comedian Kathy Griffin, along with reality‑show producer Alex Baskin, helped fill the coffers.
A Sacramento Bee article from Monday reported that Swalwell released a video in October pledging to hold Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) accountable after footage surfaced of agents swarming a woman in a Walmart parking lot. Yet, after that post, the congressman has largely been out of the public eye and missed an ICE‑related hearing last week when fellow Democrats criticized the agency’s methods.
Top 20 House Members with the Most Missed Votes in 2025
- Mikie Sherrill (D‑New Jersey) – 171
- Eric Swalwell (D‑California) – 95
- Brittany Pettersen (D‑Colorado) – 91
- Donald Norcross (D‑New Jersey) – 87
- Wesley Hunt (R‑Texas) – 77
- Josh Gottheimer (D‑New Jersey) – 74
- Raúl Grijalva (D‑Arizona) – 69
- Frederica Wilson (D‑Florida) – 58
- Maria Elvira Salazar (R‑Florida) – 53
- John Garamendi (D‑California) – 50
- Dina Titus (D‑Nevada) – 50
- Greg Casar (D‑Texas) – 49
- John Rutherford (R‑Florida) – 49
- Elise Stefanik (R‑New York) – 46
- Nancy Pelosi (D‑California) – 46
- Jerrold Nadler (D‑New York) – 44
- Michael McCaul (R‑Texas) – 43
- Kevin Mullin (D‑California) – 42
- Gerry Connolly (D‑Virginia) – 40
- Mark Green (R‑Tennessee) – 39
Mikie Sherrill, who represented New‑Jersey before her gubernatorial campaign, topped the absentee list with a staggering 171 missed votes. Despite critics questioning her attendance record, she won the race and is set to take office in January.
California voters will head to the polls on Nov. 3, 2026, to elect the state’s next governor.
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