WASHINGTON -- One of the unique things about Washington, D.C. is on any given day you could run into one of America’s top lawmakers. It could even be the next President of the United States walking the halls of the Capitol.
This month we will look at some of the up and coming politicians that have come to district to work in Congress. Our first is California congressman Eric Swalwell.
Maybe you’ve seen the shots of shoes on Instagram. They have the hashtag Swalwelling.
What is Swalwelling?
It’s inspired by congressman Eric Swalwell.
Swalwell is a Democrat who represents California’s 15 district, an area just outside Oakland.
“Every time I got on the plane I took a picture of my shoes crossing the threshold,” Rep. Swalwell said. “So someone named it ‘Swalwelling’ and now I make sure I do it all the time.”
The last five years Eric has been Swalwelling weekly from his district to D.C.
“Sometimes the flight attendants look at me like, ‘Who is this guy? Do we need to get the TSA? Why is he taking pictures of his feet?’” he laughed.
Swalwelling goes back to his campaign days.
“The incumbent I’d run against really didn’t live in the district rarely came back,” he explained.
Eric hoofed it on the campaign trail walking door to door; sometimes with his family.
“I first wondered if I would even have their votes,” he mused.
He means his parents. They are Republicans.
“I would hear my dad saying, ‘I think I can get him to come around and be a Republican one day, just give me some time.’
“I would be like, ‘Dad no! You can’t say that to people.’”Swalwell said.
It goes without saying, he won his parents over and the district. Now he is winning over Congress.
“I’m the youngest co-chair on the Democratic Leadership Committee and I want to represent this growing new generation of Americans,” he said.
No matter where Eric Swalwell goes, he wants to remind his district he is headed back to them. Hence the hashtag: Swalwelling.
