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State Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, has won the special election to represent California’s 14th Congressional District, defeating fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez in a closely watched runoff to fill the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term.
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The Associated Press called the race for Wahab Thursday afternoon. She will finish out Swalwell’s term in Congress through January.
The victory also marks a historic milestone, Wahab will become the first Afghan American to serve in Congress.
Wahab currently represents state Senate District 10, which includes portions of Alameda and Santa Clara counties. Hernandez, a more moderate Democrat, is a former mayor of Dublin and serves on the Bay Area Rapid Transit board.
The special election was held to fill Swalwell’s seat after he resigned from Congress earlier this year amid allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which he denies. The 14th Congressional District covers much of Alameda County, including communities such as Hayward, Pleasanton and Livermore.
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The two Democrats emerged as the finalists for both races in the June primary. In both, Wahab led Hernandez by more than 20 percentage points.
Wahab had been viewed as the favorite for the seat, though in recent weeks outside groups — including some with ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — have spent millions of dollars largely to oppose her.
Wahab and Hernandez will return to the ballot in November, this time competing for a full two-year term representing the 14th Congressional District. Wahab will enter that race as the sitting member of Congress after surviving a runoff that became far closer than her earlier margins over Hernandez suggested it would be.
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This story was originally published August 20, 2026 at 4:26 PM.