Aisha Wahab wins special election to serve out remainder of Eric Swalwell's term
The partial term for California's 14th Congressional District ends January 2027, after which the candidate chosen in the November election will serve the next full term.
Updated on: August 20, 2026 / 9:55 PM EDT / CBS San Francisco
In a special election, Bay Area voters have chosen state Sen. Aisha Wahab to carry out the remainder of former Rep. Eric Swalwell's term, The Associated Press projects.
Wahab will represent California's 14th Congressional District until January 2027. New vote totals from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters indicate Wahab's lead over Bay Area Rapid Transit Director Melissa Hernandez has grown and is insurmountable with the remaining votes still needing to be counted.
The seat was left vacant after Swalwell resigned from Congress in April, following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct that he has denied.
The race to finish Swalwell's term attracted attention from outside groups, including some affiliated with the pro-Israel lobbying organization American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The AIPAC-backed super political action committee United Democracy Project spent $1.2 million this month in support of Hernandez and in opposition to Wahab, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Outside groups spent more than $4 million on the race since last month, with about $3.7 million going to Hernandez's campaign.