Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, resigned from Congress on Sunday, one day after sexual assault and misconduct allegations forced him to abandon his campaign for governor. [1] On the same day, Representative Tony Gonzales, Republican of Texas, announced he would resign amid allegations of sexual misconduct toward a staffer in his own office. [2] Both men faced possible expulsion votes this week. Neither waited.

The bipartisan symmetry is almost too neat — a Democrat and a Republican, on the same day, for the same category of offense, both choosing resignation over expulsion. Speaker Johnson had signaled he would not protect either member. [3] The dual departures spare the House a floor vote neither caucus wanted.

But the coverage was not symmetric, and that asymmetry became the story.

Cable news led with Swalwell. CNN, MSNBC, and Fox opened their Sunday broadcasts with the California Democrat, dedicating extended segments to the multiple allegations and his aborted gubernatorial campaign. [1] Gonzales received shorter segments, framed as a secondary development. [2]

The account @BadFoxGraphics posted a side-by-side comparison showing the disparity. [4] Gonzales's case involved a staffer in his own office who later died — a detail reported by the Texas Tribune weeks earlier but never given sustained national attention. [2] Swalwell's allegations, centered on encounters with campaign staffers and political associates, generated far more coverage despite involving no death.

At least four women have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including one allegation of sexual assault now under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's office. [1] Swalwell cited his desire to "spare my family and constituents from the spectacle of an expulsion proceeding." [3]

The Ethics Committee investigation of Gonzales specifically referenced allegations that he "engaged in sexual misconduct toward an individual employed in his congressional office." [2] Gonzales said he had "prayed on this decision." [2]

The political math is straightforward. Swalwell's California district is safely Democratic. Gonzales's Texas 23rd, stretching from San Antonio to El Paso, is competitive — and his resignation creates a special election in a district Biden won by two points. [2]

On X, the coverage asymmetry generated bipartisan frustration. Neither party's explanation accounts for the fact that one case involved a staffer's death and the other did not — and the case with the death received less attention.

Both men were gone by sundown. The asymmetry stays.

-- MAYA CALLOWAY, New York