A group of Democrats pledged to drop out of the special election to fill Eric Swalwell’s seat in favor of a caretaker candidate — retired state Senator Bob Wieckowski, with the goal of avoiding a runoff election that would cause Swalwell’s replacement to miss important votes.
Party leaders are urging candidates to step aside and support retired state Senator Bob Wieckowski in the June 16 special election to act as a temporary replacement through the end of the seat's current term in January. They aim to avoid an August runoff that could leave the seat vacant into late summer and sideline a vote in Congress against several of President Donald Trump’s measures, as the Chronicle reports.
Four candidates, including Victor Aguilar Jr., Carin Elam, Melissa Hernandez, Rakhi Israni, and Matt Ortega, reportedly signed onto the effort, while a major candidate — state Senator Aisha Wahab — has not.
“We ask all Democratic voters to cast their ballots for Senator Wieckowski so he can help Democrats in the House try to block the Republican agenda immediately,” says the statement. “This will only work if all Democrats considering running for this special election agree to sign this pledge."
“All candidates will reserve the option to file for this special election if any of the other candidates breaks their pledge,” the statement explains.
Special election rules stipulate that a candidate who clears 50% on June 16 would be seated immediately, but a split Democratic field would likely force an August 18 runoff, delaying representation until after Congress returns from recess. Per the Chronicle, that gap could leave the district without a vote during high-stakes votes against Trump’s agenda, including issues relating to Iran and federalizing the midterm elections, one of which failed in the House by a single vote.
“Most of us have either filed to run or were preparing to run in the special election,” says the statement, per Politico. “But we recognize the risk that with this crowded field, no candidate is likely to win 50% + 1.”
“This would leave the seat vacant at a crucial time when Democrats could stop the Trump agenda from advancing in the House of Representatives,” continues the statement. “And that is a risk that our country can’t afford.”
Voter confusion is also an obvious concern, with a separate race also underway for the full term starting in 2027. That contest includes the June 2 primary with nine candidates, followed by the November general election, running parallel to the special election timeline. And it was already previously reported that the special election for Swalwell's seat was happening in August, not June, but over the last week this June 16 date emerged.
State Senator Aisha Wahab has not signed onto the caretaker plan, telling the Chronicle she has not seen the pledge. Wahab, who represents more than half of Eric Swalwell’s district, has strong name recognition and is already running for the full term in the June 2 primary.
She has backing from the California Democratic Party, Bob Wieckowski, and members of the state’s congressional delegation, including Representatives Robert Garcia, Kevin Mullin, and Lateefah Simon, but a crowded Democratic field is expected to split the vote.
“There is too much at stake for our country,” says the statement, “for any of us to put our personal hopes and ambitions ahead of this important effort to fill this seat with an experienced and reliable Democratic vote in the House.”
Image: Senator Bob Wieckowski; Internet Association/Wikimedia
