Eric Swalwell, the East Bay congressman best known for his quixotic presidential bid and his apparent inability to stay out of headlines for the wrong reasons, has resigned from Congress amid assault allegations.

Good.

Let's be clear: if the allegations hold water, resignation is the bare minimum. Elected officials who abuse their power — or worse, abuse other people — don't deserve the privilege of public office. Full stop. As one SF resident put it with devastating simplicity: "Why's it so hard to not be rape-y?" A fair question that apparently needs repeating in every generation of politicians.

The speed of Swalwell's exit is notable. The allegations surfaced, the backlash was immediate, and within days he was clearing out his desk. That's accountability operating at something resembling an appropriate pace, which is frankly rare enough to be newsworthy on its own. Another local resident summed up the mood: "Good. I hope he faces justice."

Now comes the political chess. With a race for his seat already underway, it's unclear whether Governor Newsom will call a special election or let the existing primary timeline play out. Knowing Sacramento's love of procedural complexity, expect this to drag. Newsom has never met a decision he couldn't marinate in ambiguity for a few extra weeks.

Here's what matters to us as taxpayers and citizens: the seat needs to be filled by someone who actually serves the district rather than using it as a launchpad for cable news appearances. Swalwell spent years as one of Congress's most prolific TV guests while his district dealt with real problems — housing costs, infrastructure, public safety. His constituents deserved better representation, and now they'll get a chance to choose it.

Whatever your politics, the principle is simple: no one is above accountability. When credible allegations surface, the response should be swift investigation and, where warranted, consequences. That happened here. Let's not throw a parade for clearing the lowest possible bar — but let's acknowledge that the system, for once, didn't completely fail.

The seat's open. East Bay voters, choose wisely this time.